Article
Trial Opens in Las Vegas for Former Gang Leader Accused in 1996 Murder of Tupac Shakur
Summary
Jury selection begins in Las Vegas for Duane "Keffe D" Davis, who faces trial for orchestrating the 1996 fatal shooting of rap icon Tupac Shakur after nearly three decades.
Jury selection just kicked off in Las Vegas for the murder trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis, the former gang leader who’s accused of masterminding the drive-by shooting that killed Tupac Shakur back in 1996. It feels like the drama around one of America’s most legendary cold cases is finally reaching a breaking point, almost thirty years after Tupac died at just 25.
Davis, who's now 63, faces a murder charge with extra gang-related allegations. Prosecutors say Davis wasn’t just involved—he was the boss, calling the shots, planning the hit, and providing the gun after a violent clash at the MGM Grand casino earlier that night. Apparently, Tupac and his crew had a run-in with Davis’ nephew, so Davis decided to strike back fast.
That night, a white Cadillac pulled up next to the car carrying Tupac and Marion "Suge" Knight, Death Row Records’ co-founder. Suddenly, gunfire erupted from the Cadillac. Tupac got hit and died six days later, while Knight made it out with just minor injuries.
Even though police quickly named suspects after the shooting, the whole case froze for decades because they couldn’t get the evidence they needed in court. Then things changed when Davis started talking—doing interviews and writing about his role in the attack in a 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend.” Prosecutors are planning to use those public statements, plus old police recordings, to show that Davis was the one pulling the strings.
Davis’ attorneys, though, say the memoir was just a story hyped up to sell books—not a confession. They also claim Davis’ interviews shouldn’t count because he thought they were confidential. But the judge has already decided to let prosecutors use key parts from the book and Davis’ police talks as evidence.
The trial could run for up to six weeks, with some pretty big names from '90s hip-hop expected to testify. If Davis gets convicted, he could spend the rest of his life behind bars with no chance of parole.