A jury found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of murder with the use of a deadly weapon on Monday in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur. The conviction marks the first in a case that has remained unsolved for nearly three decades.
Davis, 63, faces a potential sentence of life in prison. Jurors deliberated for approximately three hours before reaching their verdict after a weekslong trial in Las Vegas.
Prosecutors argued that Davis orchestrated the drive-by shooting, obtaining a gun and intending to target Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight. Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors that while Davis’ accounts of the killing evolved over time, a core detail remained consistent: Davis repeatedly placed himself inside a white Cadillac from which the fatal shots were fired.
Davis is the only surviving individual among the four men prosecutors allege were in the Cadillac at the time of the shooting. Under Nevada law, individuals who aid in a murder can be convicted of the crime, even if they did not pull the trigger. Prosecutors have not contended that Davis fired the shots himself but argued he was criminally responsible for providing the weapon and ordering the attack.
During the trial, prosecutors presented testimony from a gang expert who described Davis as a “shot caller” whose directives younger gang members were compelled to obey. The prosecution also highlighted a scrapbook Davis kept containing articles about Shakur and presented his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” as evidence. While the book includes a disclaimer stating that some facts were altered, prosecutors argued the central narrative of the shooting remained consistent.
The defense challenged the prosecution's case, with Davis' attorney, Michael Sanft, questioning the lack of evidence outside of Davis’ own statements that placed him in Las Vegas or inside the Cadillac on the night of the shooting. Sanft argued there was no surveillance footage, phone records, or other evidence to corroborate his presence.
Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, while stopped at a red light in Las Vegas. A white Cadillac pulled alongside his vehicle, and shots were fired. Shakur died six days later from his injuries, while Knight survived. The shooting occurred amidst a heated gang rivalry between the South Side Compton Crips and the Mob Piru, which were associated with rival record labels Bad Boy Records and Death Row Records. According to trial testimony, members of Shakur’s circle identified Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson and Davis as suspects on the night of the shooting. Anderson was reportedly beaten by Shakur and Knight’s entourage earlier that evening, an incident prosecutors believe precipitated the retaliatory shooting.