Who killed Tupac? What to know about the trial of Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis | Gun Violence News
Three decades after Tupac Shakur was fatally shot, a man in his 60s is facing trial for allegedly orchestrating the crime. The case has captivated fans and conspiracy enthusiasts since the rapper’s death in 1996, and the upcoming trial of 63-year-old Duane “Keffe D” Davis may bring some clarity to the long-standing mystery.
Jury selection for Davis’s trial is scheduled to begin Monday in Las Vegas. He is charged with one count of murder with a deadly weapon, allegedly intended to promote or assist a criminal gang. Prosecutors claim Davis supplied the gun used in the shooting but do not assert that he pulled the trigger.
Tupac Amaru Shakur, widely known as Tupac or 2Pac, was a prominent rapper whose brief career in the 1990s left an indelible mark on the music industry. With several chart-topping albums and numerous posthumous releases, his work often reflected his experiences with violence and themes of social justice, including racism and police brutality. Tupac was associated with Death Row Records, and his rivalry with East Coast rapper The Notorious B.I.G. fueled much of his music.
On September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas after attending a boxing match at the MGM Grand. He succumbed to his injuries six days later at the age of 25. Earlier that evening, Tupac had been involved in a physical altercation, which included a fight with Davis’s nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson.
Authorities have stated that Davis was one of four men in the Cadillac from which the shots were fired. The other individuals present have since died, and neither the vehicle nor the firearm has been recovered.
Davis is the only individual to be brought to trial in connection with Tupac’s murder. He entered a not guilty plea in November 2023 and has been in custody since that time. The former leader of the South Side Compton Crips gang, Davis is believed to have played a role in the ongoing gang rivalry that ultimately contributed to the shooting.
The current trial is a direct result of Davis’s own admissions in a memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” published in 2019. In the book, he details the events of the night Shakur was killed and claims the shooting was a form of retaliation for the earlier confrontation involving his nephew. He provided extensive accounts in interviews, describing the circumstances leading up to the shooting without naming the individual who fired the gun.
The trial is anticipated to last four to six weeks. The outcome will depend on the jury’s assessment of Davis’s statements in his memoir and subsequent interviews. Prosecutors plan to call between 35 and 45 witnesses, including law enforcement officials and associates of both Tupac and Davis. Marion “Suge” Knight, also present that night and currently serving time for unrelated charges, may be called to testify.
As the proceedings unfold, the focus will remain on the credibility of Davis’s claims and whether they can substantiate the murder charge against him, despite not directly implicating him as the shooter.
