Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis convicted of Tupac Shakur’s murder

Former gang boss Duane “Keffe D” Davis was found guilty in a Las Vegas court on Monday of orchestrating the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, marking the first conviction in the nearly three-decade-old case.

The 63-year-old was convicted of one count of murder with a deadly weapon over the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996. Davis, who was dressed in a black suit when the verdict was delivered, said he would appeal.

Prosecutors argued that Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips street gang, ordered the shooting and supplied the gun used by his nephew, Orlando Anderson, to fire at Shakur.

Davis did not fire the shots himself. During a 2008 police interview, he said he was inside the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired, while Anderson, who died in an unrelated shooting in 1998, was identified as the gunman. Anderson had denied involvement in Shakur’s killing.

Prosecutors said the shooting was planned as retaliation after Anderson became involved in a fight with Shakur and his crew in Las Vegas just hours before the rapper was killed.

Shakur was 25 and at the height of his career when he was shot. He went on to sell more than 75 million records worldwide and became one of the most influential voices in rap.

His murder occurred amid intense rivalry between the East Coast and West Coast rap scenes and gang feuds involving the Bloods and Crips, which had deep connections to hip-hop at the time.

The case remained one of the most prominent cold cases in the United States for almost 30 years, generating numerous theories and conspiracy claims but no conviction until Monday.

Davis’ own statements became central to the prosecution’s case. He had repeatedly acknowledged publicly that he was inside the Cadillac when the fatal shots were fired.

He had discussed his role in Shakur’s death during a secret 2008 police interview conducted in connection with the killing of fellow rapper The Notorious B.I.G., whose real name was Christopher Wallace.

Davis later elaborated on his role in his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend”, as well as in media interviews.

His book and media appearances ultimately voided a protective agreement he had with authorities that had prevented criminal charges from being brought against him. A court later ruled that the 2008 police interview could be used against him at trial.

In closing arguments, prosecutor Binu Palal urged jurors to believe Davis’ own accounts of his involvement.

“For years,” Palal argued, Davis had been telling people “that he is responsible for Tupac Shakur's murder” through documentaries, his memoir, podcasts and a police interview.

“He's the shot caller,” Palal told the jury, referring to Davis’ position within the South Side Crips. “When you have the shot caller sitting shotgun when shots are fired, there's no doubt he's responsible.”

Davis’ defence team argued that his statements were fictional and exaggerated for financial gain and to promote his memoir.

Defence lawyer Michael Sanft urged jurors to view Davis as a liar who had invented stories to sell books.

“There's no proof,” Sanft told the jury.

The jury reached its guilty verdict within hours of receiving the case on Monday.

After the verdict, members of Shakur’s family held hands, hugged and cried inside the courtroom. Shakur’s sister embraced a prosecutor, while other relatives sat nearby in tears.

Outside the court, fans of the rapper celebrated the verdict, with some crying and cheering.

Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny set Davis’ sentencing for October 13.

Before the court emptied, Davis asked the judge for his personal belongings, including his phone, and said he wanted to appeal the verdict. 

The judge told him an appeal could take place after sentencing.