One of the government’s cooperating witnesses has now placed Lil Durk inside the alleged murder-for-hire plot prosecutors have spent days describing to jurors. Kacey “OTF Jam” Hester took the stand Wednesday (August 26) and admitted his own involvement in the August 2022 attack that killed Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson before identifying Durk as a participant in the crime, according to reporters covering the federal trial from inside the Los Angeles courtroom.
Hester also named Durk’s co-defendants Deandre “DeDe” Wilson and David “Browneyez” Lindsey while testifying about the shooting, journalist Michael Blackshire reported. The admission carries particular weight because Hester was not describing the case as an outside observer. He has pleaded guilty in connection with the alleged plot and is cooperating with federal prosecutors, putting a former OTF associate in the witness chair against Durk as the government attempts to prove the rapper ordered retaliation against Quando Rondo.
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A Harrowing Testimony
That courtroom dynamic has quickly fueled online reactions, where Hester’s decision to cooperate is being viewed through the lens of his history with OTF. Prosecutors described him during opening statements as someone allegedly “deployed as a hitman,” while Durk’s attorneys have been working to convince jurors that Hester and the government’s other cooperating witnesses have strong incentives to shift responsibility away from themselves. Durk has pleaded not guilty and denies ordering or financing the shooting.
His defense began attacking Hester’s credibility before he reached the stand. During cross-examination of LAPD Detective Warner Carias, attorney Brian Steel questioned how investigators handled interviews with Hester and other cooperators. Carias testified that Hester had been interviewed approximately 30 times, but only three of those sessions were recorded. Steel used that discrepancy to challenge how much of Hester’s evolving account jurors will be able to evaluate for themselves rather than through investigators’ recollections and notes.
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Jurors have also seen evidence suggesting that Durk and those around him anticipated Hester might cooperate. A group text from 2023 presented during the trial appeared to show Durk discussing the possibility that Jam would talk to investigators. According to Rolling Stone, one message read, “Jam just ready to snitch,” followed by another suggesting the group should remain unified regardless of what he said. The exchange predates Durk’s October 2024 arrest and gives prosecutors another piece of evidence to place alongside Hester’s testimony.
The government alleges Durk used his money and position within OTF to finance an effort to kill Quando Rondo after the 2020 death of King Von. Rondo survived the August 19, 2022 shooting near the Beverly Center, but Robinson, his cousin, was killed. Prosecutors say Hester was among the men who traveled to California as part of that operation. Durk’s attorneys have instead argued that Kavon “OTF Vonnie” Grant organized the attack and that there is no evidence Durk promised or paid anyone to carry out a killing.
Hester is one of three cooperating witnesses with ties to the alleged plot who prosecutors have told jurors they intend to use. Grant and Keith “Flacka” Jones have also pleaded guilty and are expected to testify. With Hester now directly implicating Durk from the witness stand, his credibility and the terms surrounding his cooperation are poised to become a major battleground as the defense gets its opportunity to challenge his account.
