Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been found guilty of first-degree murder in connection with Tupac Shakur’s death. The legendary rapper succumbed to his injuries six days after being shot in a drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip in September 1996. He was just 25 years old.
Prosecutors argued that Davis played a central role in the killing, alleging that he was the key decision-maker behind the plot to target Tupac.
Duane Davis was convicted nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was killed in Las Vegas
Duane “Keffe D” Davis was the only person ever charged in connection with Tupac Shakur’s shooting. Orlando Anderson, a member of the South Side Compton Crips and Davis’ nephew, was initially considered a suspect. However, he denied any involvement and was never charged. Two years later, in May 1998, Anderson died in an unrelated shooting.
According to CNN, prosecutors argued in their closing statements that Davis had allegedly gone “hunting” for Shakur before the fatal shooting. They also pointed to Davis’ memoir as evidence of an alleged confession, despite another person being credited as a co-writer.
Davis’ defense attorney, however, argued that the account in the memoir was not a confession and had instead been fabricated. The defense also highlighted missing records from the original investigation and argued that there was insufficient evidence directly connecting Davis to Shakur’s murder.
Another significant piece of evidence presented against Davis came from a previous interview in which he publicly acknowledged that he was sitting inside the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired. Prosecutors argued that although Davis was not the person who pulled the trigger, he allegedly ordered the shooting and handed the gun to his nephew, who opened fire.
The trial also revealed that Davis allegedly sought revenge against Shakur after the rapper and his associates were involved in a confrontation with Anderson in Las Vegas earlier that evening. The 63-year-old plans to appeal the verdict. Following the decision, Shakur’s sister hugged one of the prosecutors, while other family members were visibly emotional in the courtroom.
Originally reported by Shazmeen Navrange on Mandatory.
