Tupac Shakur murder: 'Keffe D' Davis convicted 30 years after rap legend's death
LAS VEGAS, United States -- Thirty years after the drive-by shooting that killed rap icon Tupac Shakur, a Las Vegas jury has found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of first-degree murder. The verdict, delivered on Monday after just a few hours of deliberation, brings a long-awaited close to one of America's most famous cold cases.
Davis, 63, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, now faces possible life in prison without parole. He told Judge Carli Kierny he intends to appeal. Sentencing is set for October 13.
What did prosecutors say happened in the 1996 shooting?
Prosecutors argued that Davis ordered the September 7, 1996 killing of Shakur after his nephew was beaten by members of the rapper's entourage at a Las Vegas casino. The confrontation happened hours before Shakur was shot while riding in a BMW near the Las Vegas Strip.
“Duane Davis, in the culture of gangs, could not let that stand,” prosecutor Binu Palal said in closing arguments. “So what did he do? He acquired a firearm, got his group together, and went hunting for Mr Shakur.”
According to the prosecution, Davis handed a gun to someone in the back seat of a white Cadillac that pulled up alongside Shakur's car at a red light. The gunman fired, striking Shakur multiple times. The rapper died six days later at age 25. Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight, who was driving the BMW, was wounded.
Davis is the only person who was in the Cadillac that night who is still alive.
Why did the case take three decades to solve?
The investigation stalled for years due to a lack of evidence. It was revived in 2019 when Davis published his memoir, “Compton Street Legend.” In the book, he admitted being in the front seat of the Cadillac and handing a pistol to those in the back, but he did not name the shooter.
Davis also made repeated statements to law enforcement and media over the years, boasting of his involvement. He later backtracked and pleaded not guilty. His defense attorney, Michael Sanft, called the confessions “fiction” and said they were partly designed to promote the book.
“You're reading a book that is fiction and not fact,” Sanft told the jury. “But the state wants you to believe that this is somehow a confession, that he was there and present at the time of the shooting.”
The defense argued there was no physical evidence linking Davis to the murder, only his own words. Davis's lawyers tried, unsuccessfully, to keep the memoir and a 2008 police interview out of the trial.
Who was Tupac Shakur?
Shakur, known as 2Pac, was one of the most influential rappers of his generation. Hits like “California Love” and “All Eyez on Me” made him a global star. Born in Harlem and raised in Baltimore, he became the face of West Coast hip hop after signing with Los Angeles-based Death Row Records.
His death, at the height of the East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry, has fueled endless speculation among fans for decades. This conviction, while a milestone, leaves many questions unanswered about the full story behind that fatal night in Las Vegas.
This article is based on reporting from CDN Digital.