Duane 'Keffe D' Davis, who was convicted of murder for the 1996 slaying of rapper Tupac Shakur, has asserted his innocence in a new interview conducted shortly before his sentencing.
Davis, 63, faces a potential life sentence after being found guilty of plotting the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur. However, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Davis maintained, "I’m a good man, man. I’m a good person. I’m not no f***ing killer." He expressed belief that he would be released on appeal, citing alleged violations of his civil rights.
"I ain’t worried. I’m getting out on an appeal. We already filed it before the trial even started. They violated my civil rights!" Davis was quoted as saying.
He also spoke of his grandsons, stating, "I’ve got two grandsons that are going to the pros in football. They All-Americans — one of them is in high school. He has 25 scholarship offers, and the other one is in college. And when they get their millions, they’re coming to get me out of here."
Prosecutors argued that Davis orchestrated Shakur's murder following an earlier altercation where Shakur's entourage attacked his nephew, Orlando 'Baby Lane' Anderson, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Davis allegedly supplied the weapon and initiated the shooting, though he did not pull the trigger himself.
The prosecution presented evidence of a 2008 proffer agreement Davis made with federal investigators looking into the murder of Christopher Wallace, also known as Biggie Smalls. Davis discussed the Shakur shooting during this agreement, which prosecutors contended did not shield him from state murder charges.
Jurors were told that Davis provided details of Shakur's murder, including the positions of individuals in the vehicle and preceding gang conflicts, that only a witness could know. The publication of his 2019 memoir, "Compton Street Legend," in which he described his role in Shakur's death, also prompted a renewed investigation.
During closing arguments, Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal highlighted Davis's consistent accounts of being inside the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired, asserting, "The core facts remain. The material facts remain." Davis's defense attorney, Michael Sanft, however, challenged the prosecution to present evidence beyond Davis's own statements that placed him in Las Vegas or inside the vehicle on the night of the shooting.
Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, while stopped at a red light in Las Vegas. He died six days later from his injuries. Davis is currently held at the Clark County Detention Center, and his sentencing is scheduled for October 13. 
