CHICAGO, IL – A federal jury in Chicago has found six alleged gang members guilty of the 2020 murder of drill rapper FBG Duck in the city’s affluent Gold Coast neighborhood. The verdict was reached following 16 hours of deliberation over three days, with the group found guilty of the murder in furtherance of a racketeering scheme. The defendants, Charles Liggins, Kenneth Roberson, Christopher Thomas, Marcus Smart, Tacarlos Offerd, and Ralph Turpin, all face potential life sentences, as members or associates of the O-Block gang faction based in the Parkway Gardens housing complex.
The high-profile killing of FBG Duck was alleged to be part of a violent conflict between two South Side gang factions, as implicated by prosecutors. The defense, however, argued that the violence depicted in drill rap tracks did not equate to evidence in a murder case, portraying it as a form of entertainment rather than reality. Despite this, the jury found the group guilty of murder in connection to the racketeering scheme.
The trial featured testimonies from over 30 witnesses, as well as the presentation of more than 450 exhibits. The prosecution’s case centered on security and surveillance videos, which purportedly showed Turpin making a call that led to the fatal shooting of FBG Duck. Although the shooters were masked, several witnesses identified the defendants in the videos based on their clothing and other identifying features.
Throughout the trial, there were disagreements regarding the credibility of the witnesses, with defense attorneys disputing the testimonies of informants and YouTube opportunists. Prosecutors, however, emphasized that their witnesses provided insight into the world the defendants lived in, despite some being gang members and violent criminals.
The murder of FBG Duck in 2020 was a highly publicized event, emblematic of the ongoing gang conflict in Chicago’s South Side. The guilty verdict sends a strong message about accountability and the consequences of perpetuating violence in the community. This case serves as a reminder of the complex dynamics at play within gang culture, the influence of music as a form of expression, and the intersection of entertainment and real-world violence.