Duane 'Keffe D' Davis Sentenced to 40 Years to Life for Tupac Shakur Murder
The former Crips boss, convicted of first-degree murder, receives the maximum sentence three decades after the rapper's slaying.
Duane Davis, known as 'Keffe D,' has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. The sentence was handed down Tuesday in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Judge Carli Kierny.
Davis, 63, was convicted in August of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon. During the sentencing, Shakur's siblings, Sekyiwa 'Set' Shakur and Maurice Shakur, delivered emotional impact statements.
Sekyiwa described the night of her brother's death as "a night of hunting and murdering" and spoke of the profound grief that has affected her family for three decades. She detailed struggles with depression, suicidal ideation, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder, stating that her children were raised in the shadow of her grief, leading to trust and abandonment issues. She implored the judge to impose the maximum sentence, emphasizing the pain Davis caused and recounting cherished memories of her brother.
Maurice Shakur stated that his brother was never given a trial and called his death devastating for his family and pop culture.
Prosecutors argued that Davis orchestrated the shooting after Shakur's entourage assaulted his nephew, Orlando 'Baby Lane' Anderson, hours earlier outside the MGM Grand following a Mike Tyson fight. Davis allegedly supplied the weapon for the drive-by shooting that killed the hip-hop icon, though he did not pull the trigger himself.
The investigation gained renewed momentum after Davis detailed his role in the murder in his 2019 memoir, "Compton Street Legend." This account led to a federal investigation and ultimately his prosecution on state murder charges. Prosecutors noted that a 2008 proffer agreement with federal investigators, where Davis discussed the Shakur shooting, did not shield him from future state prosecution.
Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo told the court that Davis would "be guaranteed to die" in prison and argued that Davis sought to profit from Shakur's killing. Judge Kierny acknowledged that the rapper's death had not been forgotten by the world.