Jury selection is set to begin Monday in Las Vegas for Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who is accused of orchestrating the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur. Davis, 63, faces a charge of murder with a deadly weapon, with prosecutors alleging he intended to promote or further criminal gang activity. The trial is expected to last approximately one month.
Shakur was fatally shot on September 7, 1996, in Las Vegas. He was a passenger in a black BMW driven by music executive Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled alongside them. Gunfire erupted, and Shakur sustained multiple gunshot wounds. He died six days later. Knight survived the incident.
The case remained unsolved for decades until recent years, when public statements and a memoir by Davis brought renewed attention. Davis, identified as a leader of the South Side Compton Crips at the time of the shooting, was arrested in 2023 and pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors intend to prove that Davis initiated the events leading to Shakur's death and supplied the weapon, rather than alleging he fired the fatal shots. His memoir, "Compton Street Legends," details his alleged role in the shooting, including obtaining a handgun and placing it in the back seat of the Cadillac. The memoir does not specify who fired the shots.
Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, Davis’ nephew, has long been identified as the individual who fired the weapon. However, no charges were ever filed against him in connection with Shakur's killing. Anderson died in an unrelated gang shootout in Compton, California, two years after Shakur's death. Deandrae “Freaky” Smith and Terry “Bubble Up” Brown, who were also in the Cadillac with Davis and Anderson, have since died as well.
The prosecution expects to call between 35 and 45 witnesses. The list includes individuals who were present shortly before Shakur was shot, as well as those connected to Shakur and Davis at the time. Potential witnesses also include former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and members of Shakur’s family. Leonard Jefferson, who captured the last known photograph of Shakur, is also expected to testify. Denvonta Lee, affiliated with the South Side Crips, is expected to testify that Anderson did not have a clear shot, leading Smith to fire the weapon, and that Davis was in charge and provided the gun.
Other potential witnesses include Malcolm Greenidge, a friend of Shakur’s who was part of his entourage, and Reggie Wright, who provided security for Death Row Records. A former member of Death Row’s security team and a former member of Mob Piru who was present at Club 662 on the night of the shooting are also on the witness list, alongside former police officers, detectives, and gang experts.
Davis' defense is expected to call a small number of witnesses, including an expert on false confessions and coercive interrogation tactics. The defense has suggested that Suge Knight’s testimony could be beneficial to Davis’ defense.
Court records indicate one witness is currently in prison in California. Knight is serving a sentence for a separate conviction and previously stated he would not testify in Davis’ case. Fans have also speculated about the potential testimony of Sean “Diddy” Combs, whom Davis alleged in his book paid to have Knight and Shakur killed. Combs has consistently denied any involvement in the shooting.