Closing Arguments in Lil Durk's Federal Murder-for-Hire Trial: Prosecution Seeks Revenge Motive, Defence Calls Case 'a Tsunami of Reasonable Doubt'
Closing arguments concluded in Lil Durk's federal murder-for-hire trial on its 13th day in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, with prosecutors casting the Chicago rapper as a man who funded a revenge killing and defence lawyers calling the entire case a "tsunami of reasonable doubt" (Rolling Stone).
Lil Durk, born Durk Banks, is 33 years old. He and two co-defendants face charges of conspiracy, stalking resulting in death, and murder for hire. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Yanniello led the prosecution's closing argument, telling jurors that Banks placed a bounty on fellow musician Quando Rondo, whose legal name is Tyquian Bowman, because he blamed Bowman for the 2020 shooting death of King Von — Banks's friend and protégé.
According to prosecutors, members of Banks's collective Only The Family, known as OTF, flew from Chicago to California on 18 August 2022. They followed Quando Rondo through Los Angeles and opened fire on his vehicle at a gas station near the Beverly Center the following day — a Friday rush hour. Three shooters wearing black ski masks fired in broad daylight, Yanniello said. Quando Rondo survived. His cousin, Saviay'a Robinson, known as Lul Pab, was killed.
The government's case relied on three cooperating witnesses: Kasey "OTF Jam" Hester, Kavon "OTF Vonnie" Grant, and Keith Jones. All three admitted roles in the attack, pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, and testified that Banks was involved. Prosecutors said Banks funded the conspiracy, with plane tickets and a stay at a Sheraton hotel charged to his credit cards. They also displayed a text message Banks sent on 18 August 2022: "Don't book no flights under no names involved wit me." Yanniello argued it showed Banks covering his tracks.
Defence lawyers Brian Steel and Drew Findling attacked the prosecution on multiple fronts. Findling dismissed the case as "the bounty case with no money, the stalking case with no stalking." He argued that federal prosecutors targeted Banks as a "big fish" and a "carnival prize" — a case that would not otherwise have drawn federal attention. Steel focused on the cooperating witnesses, telling jurors they agreed to testify to avoid life sentences and were seeking a benefit they could only obtain by including Banks in their accounts.
On the text message, the defence presented evidence that it referred to a friend's wedding in Mexico that same weekend, not to the Los Angeles attack.
Banks was arrested in October 2024 on a federal complaint alleging he ordered the murder attempt that resulted in Robinson's death near the Beverly Center, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California (justice.gov). The trial opened in late August 2026 in Los Angeles federal court (Los Angeles Times).
The case now rests with the jury, which must weigh cooperating witnesses who admitted their own crimes against a defence arguing those witnesses had every reason to name Banks — and no incentive not to.
