Jury Reaches Verdict In Tupac Murder Trial 30 Years After His Death

A Las Vegas jury found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of first-degree murder on Monday in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, bringing an end to one of the most infamous unsolved murders in hip hop.

The jury convicted Davis, 63, of murder with the use of a deadly weapon and the intent to promote further, or assist a criminal gang, after deliberating for roughly three hours following closing arguments.

Davis was the only person charged in Shakur’s murder and now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.

The killing took place against the backdrop of several overlapping rivalries, including a beef between Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records and between two Los Angeles-area gangs, the South Side Compton Crips and Mob Piru, a Bloods-affiliated gang.

Prosecutors did not accuse Davis of firing the shots that killed Shakur nearly 30 years ago. They argued the former leader of the South Side Compton Crips orchestrated the retaliatory attack and provided the gun used to kill Shakur.

Hours before Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, Shakur and Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight were with a group captured on surveillance footage attacking Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, a member of the South Side Compton Crips, inside the MGM Grand following a Mike Tyson boxing match.

Prosecutors said Davis, Anderson, and two other men went “hunting” for Shakur and located Shakur and Knight while driving. Someone inside the white Cadillac opened fire, shooting Shakur four times while one bullet grazed Knight’s head. Shakur, who was 25, died six days later.

The decades-long case relied heavily on Davis’s own words.

Davis misunderstood the terms of a 2008 proffer agreement and repeatedly discussed the case publicly, placing himself inside the Cadillac in interviews, documentaries, and his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend.” He also said he handed the gun to the men in the back seat.

Prosecutors and police described Davis as the “shot caller” who orchestrated the deadly shooting.

Davis’ legal team argued that their client’s incriminating statements were essentially fiction. Defense attorney Michael Sanft told jurors Davis had not been charged years earlier because investigators “knew he was full of crap.” He said Davis had lied about his involvement to make money and boost his street credibility. They emphasized that prosecutors had no murder weapon, DNA, fingerprints, or physical evidence placing Davis at the scene.

Davis did not take the stand.

According to CNN, “there were no audible reactions” when the verdict was read, but Seiyiwa “Set” Shakur, Tupac’s sister, wept quietly.

Davis briefly raised his fist as he exited the courtroom.

Judge Carli Kierny ordered Davis to remain in jail until his sentencing on October 13.