Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, was convicted Monday by a Nevada jury of the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. The verdict marks the first conviction in the killing of Shakur, who died at age 25 after being shot in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996.
Davis, described as a former high-ranking “shot caller” in a Los Angeles chapter of the Crips gang, was not accused of firing the fatal shots. Prosecutors argued that he provided the gun used in the attack and orchestrated the shooting. The gunman was long presumed to be Davis’ nephew, Orlando Anderson, who died in a separate gang shootout two years after Shakur’s murder.
The prosecution’s case relied heavily on Davis' own statements. He reportedly confessed to his involvement in 2008 while attempting to avoid charges and later detailed the plot in a 2019 memoir, which led to his arrest in 2023. Defense attorneys contended that Davis’ admissions were fabrications, comparing his memoir to historical fiction.
Prosecutors presented circumstantial evidence linking Davis to the crime. They stated that Anderson had been physically assaulted by Shakur, who was affiliated with a rival Blood gang, hours before the shooting. According to the prosecution, Davis organized a retaliatory attack due to unwritten gang codes that required a response to public beatings. Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal stated during closing arguments that Davis “got a gun and went hunting for Tupac Shakur.”