What To Know
- Duane “Keffe D” Davis was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, nearly 30 years after the crime.
- Prosecutors argued Davis orchestrated the drive-by shooting, and under Nevada law, his role in planning the attack was sufficient for conviction even though he did not fire the fatal shots.
Nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas, a jury has found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of first-degree murder in the rapper’s killing.
A Nevada jury convicted Davis of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon in connection with the 1996 drive-by shooting. The verdict came Monday, August 31, after jurors began deliberating following closing arguments, according to The Associated Press. Davis could face life in prison. He had pleaded not guilty.
The closely watched trial revisited one of the most infamous killings in music history. Davis, the only person ever charged in Shakur’s death, was not accused of firing the fatal shots. Instead, prosecutors argued that he orchestrated the attack that ultimately claimed the 25-year-old icon’s life.
Tupac Shakur
Over nine days of testimony, the 16-member panel, which included four alternates, heard from 24 prosecution witnesses and three defense witnesses before the case was handed over to the jury.
According to CBS News, the jury reached its verdict in less than three hours.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors in closing arguments that Davis “went hunting” for Shakur and Knight after they beat up Davis’ nephew earlier that night. CBS News reported that though prosecutors acknowledged that Davis’ story changed over the years, they argued one key detail never did: he consistently admitted he was inside the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired. “The core facts remain. The material facts remain,” Palal said.
Under Nevada law, Davis didn’t have to be the shooter to be convicted of murder. Prosecutors argued that helping plan or carry out the killing was enough, and that Davis’ own admissions could be used as evidence even without independent proof placing him at the scene.
Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, while riding in a BMW driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight near the Las Vegas Strip. A gunman inside a white Cadillac pulled alongside the pair and opened fire, striking Shakur multiple times and leaving Knight with minor injuries.
Shakur was rushed to the hospital, where he died from his injuries six days later, on September 13. His murder would remain unsolved for decades before Davis was arrested and charged in 2023.