On September 25, 2012, King Von, a member of O Block, would encounter a rival south
side Chicago gang member by the name of KI on a local train ride.
KI is a member of STL which stands for St. Lawrence, a street in which most STL gang
members reside on.
STL and O Block have had a strong hatred for each other for years and the rivalry between
the two gangs has resulted in many casualties.
When King Von and KI spotted each other on the train, the two immediately began to get
physical, with King Von landing several punches to KI’s face.
After the incident, King Von logged onto Twitter and tweeted about the altercation with KI
claiming that an opposing gang member got caught with their guard down on the train.
KI would then begin to tweet about the situation herself by saying that her ear and arm are
messed up.
KI followed that tweet by also saying that she only has a bruise on her face and that
she’s not tripping because her 40 caliber firearm would put a hole in King Von’s face.
This situation stemming from the altercation on the train would soon become the start of
King Von and KI frequently communicating with each other on social media.
Just four days after the train incident, KI would tweet “Retweet if you think I look
good” in which King Von would retweet shortly after.
Three days later, KI would get into another altercation on the train but this time with
Lil Scud, a O Block member who is close friends with King Von.
KI was eager to let this be known and quickly tweeted out that she beat up Lil Scud and
to let King Von know that she isn’t someone to be messed with.
After thirty minutes of no replies, KI would tweet directly at King Von explaining how
she beat up Lil Scud all by herself and that he didn’t even get one punch on her.
King Von would eventually reply stating that KI is about that life and that he may be in
love with her.
KI would respond to this by calling King Von gay.
Von clearly didn’t appreciate that and told KI not to do that and ended the conversation
by saying he would treat KI right.
King Von would soon begin to direct message KI on Twitter with his first DM being “What
up?
I’m trying to change you and upgrade you.
I want to nail something, whats up?”
KI would appear to be somewhat shocked by these DM’s but King Von would respond the
next day saying that it wasn’t him who sent the first message and then goes on to say
that he likes KI for real and that when the gang war in Chicago is over with that he is
going to be with her.
KI would then go on to tell King Von that she heard a rumor in the streets that O Block
is trying to kill her.
King Von would respond to those claims stating that what she heard was true but he doesn’t
think he could do it because he thinks she is actually cool.
The two then discuss when they are going to stop gang banging to which they both reveal
they believe that they are both going to die in the gang war.
KI then goes on to say that she thinks O Block feels threatened by her to which King Von
would respond with “Look, I’m not trying to mess with you so why are you trying to
mess with me.
We are just trying to get whoever.
It’s not like we are in a rush to get you.
But I had a 9 mm on me when I saw you riding my bike and was going to grab you but the
police were right there.
The girl with me also had a 7 mm when we saw you on the train.
If we were really trying to get you I would have took my chances then.”
KI soon responds by shouting out STL and states that she is ready to go to war with anybody.
Von then tells her that she doesn’t always have to act tough to which KI says “Treat
enemies like enemies.
What do you expect?”
The next morning, KI would start off the day by dissing Odee Perry, a respected member
of Wic City who was fatally shot just a few years prior.
King Von would see this tweet and respond with “See, that’s why you keep getting
beat up.”
KI then tells King Von to pull up to which he responds with “I should’ve pissed or
spit on you after I beat you up but I wasn’t thinking.”
KI proceeds to laugh at this and tells King Von to “leave it in the streets.”
Shortly after this Twitter interaction, King Von would go outside looking for KI and ended
up running into a group of rival gang members at the local corner store.
According to King Von, the rival members were scared of him and had the store employees
lock the door to keep him out.
Von would tweet about this as soon as it happened to which KI would respond by saying she is
on her way.
King Von would quickly tell her to not come since he was already leaving the store anyways.
KI responds by calling Von funny and says that she will just come to where ever he is
at, which Von responds by telling KI to be smart.
Four days later, King Von and KI would continue talking in the DM’s after KI would message
Von with “Where are you at?
Come outside”.
Von would quickly respond to KI with a simple “don’t mess with me” to which KI would
reply back taking a slight dig at O Block and the work they’re doing in the streets.
King Von would then ask KI if she wants to have a shoot out with him to which KI would
shockingly respond with “Hell yeah.
You and your friend T. Roy.
King Von didn’t seem to take this very seriously and responded back with “#VeryScary.”
KI then states that she was just around O Block and didn’t see anybody outside.
Von would soon reply saying that they’re busy with other things but that they will
see them soon.
KI would then tell King Von that she thinks that they are scared of them to which King
Von replies with a simple “Ha”.
The conversation would then go dark for 3 days until King Von would randomly message
KI saying “What’s up?
When are you gonna let your hair down and put on a tight dress for me?
I would risk my life to get some of that.”
KI did not respond to this message.
After that message, the two didn’t speak to each other for about a week.
But then on October 24, 2012, KI would announce on Twitter that she would be going to Swisher
Sweets, a popular store located in O Block territory.
King Von would reply to this tweet moments later saying “Don’t do that.
Today is not the day.”
KI would then respond by saying that she never even sees King Von despite the fact that shes
always outside.
Von would then say “I saw you before, right or wrong?”
KI would respond with “Yeah, but ever since then I feel like you’ve been hiding because
I been coming through your territory ever since”.
King Von replies with “I’ve been going to Rhodes, but I think when you come over
here I be over here”.
KI ends the conversation with a simple “lol”.
Two days later, KI would suddenly post a tweet stating that King Von was a “goofy” who
got beat up by her friend FBG Butta just two years prior.
King Von would see this tweet and soon reply back saying “and you know the other stuff
I did to you guys... right?” to which KI would say “You think your drilling but you
need practice.”
King Von fires back by denying that he needs drilling practice in which KI responds by
saying Von is saying to much for Twitter and that Von’s friend Sheroid, an O Block member
who was fatally shot a few months prior, knows about her.
King Von then laughs at KI for saying “on GD” then proceeds to tell her that she can
ask her dead friends about him.
Three days later, KI would tweet at King Von saying “I wanna meet King Von face to face”
in which Von would respond with “Lol, you don’t really want that Kirah.”
KI would then respond with “See, you don’t think I’m tough.”
Four days later, KI would once again tweet at King Von saying that she hopes people in
O Block don’t actually call Von “King Von” and that its suspect if you do.
King Von would respond back by claiming that he earned the name “King Von.”
KI responds by bringing up the fact that Von used to get beat up back in the day.
Von replied back laughing at the fact that KI was even talking about getting beat up
and that if it wasn’t for guns, he would be walking up and down their block all day.
Six days later, King Von would make a tweet about KI saying that she sounds good on the
phone.
This would indicate that King Von and KI physically talked on the phone with each other and didn’t
just message each other back and fourth on social media.
Von would also make a tweet several hours later complaining that KI hasn’t answered
her phone all day.
King Von would eventually get arrested on November 20, 2012 for unlawful use of a weapon
by a felon.
This arrest led to King Von sitting behind bars for over a year.
While behind bars, King Von’s sister Kayla B tweeted at KI telling her that Von misses
her and that she should go and visit him in jail.
KI responded with “lol” but Kayla B followed up insisting that her brother King Von really
wanted to see her.
On February 11, 2014, King Von was released from jail and one of the first things he did
following his release was tweet to KI saying “What’s up?
You don’t miss me?”
KI would quickly respond with “What’s up, when are we linking up.”
King Von would then respond by asking why she never came and visited him in jail after
allegedly saying she would.
KI would not reply directly to this tweet but moments later tweeted “How does it feel
to lose your friend while behind bars” referring to the death of J Money, one of the top members
of O Block who was fatally shot during Von’s incarceration.
King Von wouldn’t say anything about that tweet but would later tweet RIP J Money in
honor of him.
KI would soon retweet this as a way of taunting him to which King Von would quickly compose
a tweet discussing Crack and Modell, two STL gang members who unfortunately passed away.
While all of this was going on, O Block was already making plans to avenge J Money after
word got out that a STL gang member by the name of Lil B was allegedly responsible for
the death of J Money.
O Block was ready for Lil B but before they could meet face to face, Lil B was fatally
shot by the Chicago Police Department in March of 2014 after reportedly pointing a gun at
one of the officers.
This means that O Block would not be able to avenge one of their top members and were
now looking for the next best thing.
On April 10, 2014, KI would release a serious of tweets regarding her future.
The tweets state “I do what I do because I know god has a day for me.
You’re nobody until someone kills you, that’s just real.
I’ve seen too many of my friends in a casket.”
Less than twenty four hours after posting those tweets online, KI and several others
were standing outside of a home on the 6400 block of South Eberhart when a man exited
the passenger side of a blue Oldsmobile that was parked facing eastbound on the corner
of 65th and Eberhart.
The man proceeded to walk northbound on Eberhart and quickly began shooting at the group of
people standing in front of the house.
The suspect would then retreat back to the getaway vehicle and flee the scene going eastbound
on 65th street.
Three individuals were hit during this situation and were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals.
The first victim was an unidentified male who got shot in his right foot and survived
his injuries.
The second victim was rumored to be FBG Butta, the same individual that KI claimed to have
beaten up King Von in the past.
Butta was shot in the right knee and also survived his injuries.
The third and final victim was shot seven times and passed away from their injuries
during surgery at the hospital.
That individual was KI.
Detectives would arrive to the crime scene shortly after and began to interview anyone
who saw what happened.
While there were many witnesses on scene, most of them provided detectives with vague
details about the case with some of them even admitting that they are scared to cooperate.
However, certain witnesses gave the detectives a similar story stating that a man wearing
dark colored clothing approached the house and began to open fire while yelling things
at them.
These witnesses would also give detectives a name of someone who they think may have
committed the crime, a name in which the Chicago Police Department were already quite familiar
with.
Over the next couple of days, authorities would continue to investigate the homicide
of KI and eventually developed a photo spread of potential suspects.
Witnesses were soon called in to view the photo spread and almost all of them were quick
to point out the same suspect who’s name was given to detectives on the day of the
crime.
Then on April 29, 2014, just eighteen days after the murder of KI, Dayvon Bennett aka
King Von, was taken into custody by Officer Fernandez of the Chicago Police Department’s
Fugitve Apprehension Unit to be interviewed by detectives.
At around 1 pm, King Von was placed in an interview room where two detectives began
to question him about his involvement in KI’s murder.
Von would quickly deny all involvement and stated that he doesn’t even know KI and
never goes around 65th street.
The detectives would then ask Von if he would be willing to do a polygraph examination to
which he would agree to do and was given food and water.
While this interview was taking place, four cooperating witnesses were called in so they
could view an in-person lineup of the suspects.
The first witness to view the lineup told authorities that they were unable to identify
the suspect while the second witness pointed to King Von and said it could possibly be
the suspect but wasn’t sure.
The third witness couldn’t make an identification but verbally told detectives it was King Von.
The fourth and final witness viewed the lineup and pointed directly to King Von.
Two assistant state attorneys would then arrive shortly after and began to review all the
evidence in the KI case.
Detectives would then go back to the interview room to check King Von where Von would begin
to tell detectives that he changed his mind and will no longer do a polygraph exam.
King Von then starts giving detectives an alibi claiming that he checked in at his parole
office on the day of KI’s death.
Detectives immediately started looking into Von’s alibi and was able to confirm that
he did in fact check in at his parole office but there was still thirty minutes of unexplained
time where he could have still committed the crime.
Then on April 30, 2014, the Cook County State Attorney’s office would announce that they
are declining to prosecute King Von for the murder of KI due to inconsistencies in the
witness statements.
This would mean that internally, this case is solved according to the Chicago Police
Department, but to the public, this case is still unsolved with a suspect still at large.
King Von was then released from police custody at around 6:30 pm that same night.
Less than two hours later, King Von would tweet “I’m so happy and grateful.
I’m too real for this.”
King Von would then go on and get arrested for another murder less than three months
later.
He sat in the Cook County Jail for over three years while awaiting trial.
During the trial, King Von was acquitted of all charges due to lack of evidence and was
released back into the free world.
After being released, life long friend and rapper Lil Durk would take King Von under
his wing in attempt to turn him into a gangster rap superstar.
Within a matter of months, King Von would become one of the top street rappers in the
music industry with his music surpassing tens of millions of streams each month and even
received co-signs from A-list celebrities such as NBA star LeBron James.
Then on November 6, 2020 King Von’s iconic music career would be cut short after he was
fatally shot in Atlanta during an altercation with another rapper.
King Von was twenty-six years old at the time.