Lil Durk’s Attempt To Split Murder Charges Shut Down By Feds

BY Aron A.
Link Copied to Clipboard!
MLS: Inter Miami CF at Chicago Fire
Oct 4, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Rapper and singer Lil Durk gestures during halftime of the game between the Chicago Fire and Inter Miami CF at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports
Lil Durk tried to get a recent gang murder charge separated from his murder-for-hire case.

Lil Durk’s legal team has been working overtime to try to beat his murder-for-hire case. But with the trial kicking off next month and the feds presenting new charges, it’s looking even more of an uphill battle. After the rapper’s team filed a request to split charges or get the case tossed, the government made it clear that he would have to go through trial.

According to All Hip Hop, Durk’s team initially asked to separate the recently filed gang murder charge from the original murder-for-hire tied to Lul Pub’s death. The argument surrounded how the new charges could force a trial delay and infringe on Durk’s right to a speedy trial. He’s already spent more than 21 months behind bars since his arrest. 

However, the government opened its filing with a reminder of how Durk was booking flights when his co-defendants were arrested in Chicago and ultimately, arrested by the tarmac of a private jet. Moreover, they argue that each count that he’s charged with shares similar evidence. If they were to split the trials, then it would require witnesses to testify twice. There have already been issues regarding witness tampering, specifically with reports of threats towards witnesses and their families. Plus, the issue of photos from inside the courtroom making their way online. Ultimately, they argued that “requiring these witnesses to repeat their testimony in multiple trials strongly militates in favor of a joint trial.”

Lil Durk’s Alleged Incriminating Texts

The report also says that prosecutors cited the murder of Stephon Mack in their response to Durk’s request, specifically in how it re-entered the trial. Two men pleaded guilty in separate federal cases to the charge while admitting that they tried to collect a bounty for Mack’s death from Durk. This includes a text message revealing how they waited for Durk to return to Chicago and a recorded confession from behind bars, both of which, prosecutors say, wouldn’t have entered the case had they not secured the convictions first. Additionally, there was allegedly a text from Durk where he asked everyone to “delete thread and start new one” over concerns surrounding the police investigation. 

Ultimately, prosecutors pin the long investigation on Durk, claiming that he tried to conceal evidence and even asked for the trial to be pushed back from 2024 to October 2025. We’ll keep you posted on any further updates surrounding the trial. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.

Comments 0