Tupac Murder Trial Begins: Keffe D Faces Jury in 1996

Nearly 30 years after the fatal drive-by shooting of rap icon Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas, the man prosecutors say orchestrated the killing is scheduled to go to trial Monday. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, faces a single count of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in Shakur’s death, according to AP News. He has been jailed since late 2023 and has pleaded not guilty.

The trial, which is expected to last about a month, likely won’t reveal who pulled the trigger. Instead, prosecutors hope to prove that Davis was the “shot caller” who provided the weapon used in the September 1996 shooting. Davis is one of the only people present that night who is still alive, and prosecutors say if he hadn’t written explicitly about the killing or talked about it in interviews, it’s likely no one would have been charged.

A Cold Case Revived

On Sept. 7, 1996, Shakur was in the passenger seat of a black BMW driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight. They had just watched Mike Tyson knock out Bruce Seldon and were headed to a nightclub where Shakur was scheduled to perform. But at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip, a white Cadillac pulled up beside them, and gunfire erupted.

Shakur was shot multiple times and died six days later at age 25. Knight survived with minor injuries and is now serving a 28-year prison sentence for a fatal hit-and-run.

The case went cold until Davis began making public statements about his involvement as a leader of the South Side Compton Crips. In 2019, he published the tell-all memoir “Compton Street Legend,” which, along with interviews Davis gave, revived the police investigation. As FOX5 Vegas reported, Davis was arrested in September 2023 at his home in Henderson, Nevada, after a July 2023 police raid.

“While I know there’s been many people that did not believe that the murder of Tupac Shakur was important to this police department, I’m here to tell you that was simply not the case,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at the time of the arrest.

A Feud Rooted in Gang Rivalry

Hundreds of pages of grand jury transcripts portray Shakur’s shooting as a culmination of a longstanding feud between rival record labels — Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records — and rival gang sects Mob Piru and South Side Compton Crips. Witnesses said South Side Compton Crips hung out with and provided protection to Bad Boy Records, which was founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs and included rappers like The Notorious B.I.G. Mob Piru, part of the larger Bloods gang, was associated with Death Row Records, which featured rappers like Shakur, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.

Prosecutors allege Davis orchestrated the shooting to get revenge after Shakur and his entourage beat up Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, at the MGM Grand hours before Shakur was killed. In his memoir, Davis wrote: “We couldn’t let no record company studio gangsters do us like that.”

Davis was in the passenger seat of the Cadillac and passed a gun to the back seat earlier that night, according to the book. When they encountered Shakur and Knight, Davis claimed to see Shakur reach for a weapon and wrote that “one of my guys from the back seat grabbed the Glock and started bustin’ back.” No weapon was found in Knight and Shakur’s car, according to retired Las Vegas police Detective Clifford Mogg, who was assigned to the investigation in early 2018.

The 2008 Police Interview

A central piece of evidence in the case is a 2008 police interview Davis gave under a promise of immunity. In the interview, Davis described how he and his crew saw Shakur that night and pulled up beside them, and said that Anderson “popped them.” Anderson denied involvement in Shakur’s killing at the time and died two years later in an unrelated gang shooting in Compton, California.

A Nevada judge ruled on July 28 that the recording of the 2008 interview could be used at trial, as FOX5 Vegas reported. Davis’ attorneys had argued the interview was supposed to be confidential and that detectives explicitly told him it was not to be used against him. The interview was previously used in former Los Angeles Police Department Detective Greg Kading’s book “Murder Rap” and portions were played in documentaries.

At a final pretrial hearing on August 5, the judge also left the door open for Davis to be released on bail before facing a jury. Judge Carli Kierny said, “If Mr. Davis were to bail out tomorrow or in the middle of trial, that wouldn’t affect anything from the evidence perspective or how the trial is conducted.” Both sides continued to dispute what statements Davis made to the public can be used at trial, with the judge saying she would review the media interviews ahead of trial.

Witnesses and Trial Logistics

The prosecution this week released an 11-page list of witnesses expected to testify, according to FOX5 Vegas. Among the most prominent names is Suge Knight, the only other surviving witness to the shooting. Knight, who previously said in a 2023 TMZ interview that he would not testify — “1000% I wouldn’t go. I wouldn’t testify, none of that” — is now on the witness list.

Additional witnesses include Shakur’s sister and stepbrother, former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (who was a Metro sergeant at the time of the murder), and Yusuf Jah, who co-authored “Compton Street Legend” with Davis.

Due to the high public interest in the case, the Clark County District Court will use a lottery system for public seating in the main courtroom, as News3LV reported. Members of the public who wish to observe the proceedings must arrive at the overflow room at least one hour before the start of each court day to participate in the lottery.

Defense Arguments and Family’s Hope

Davis’ defense attorneys argue there is no evidence he directed the shooting and that the state relies on witnesses who weren’t there. The defense said Davis left the narcotics trade in 2009 and worked a steady job before illness forced him to retire in 2014. Defense attorney Michael Sanft said, “I think, ultimately, at the end of the day, I believe in the cause. This is not a case that I think is a good case. But once again, we have to leave that up to a jury.”

For Shakur’s family, the last 30 years have been exhausting and stressful, his stepbrother Maurice “Mopreme” Shakur said. Sitting through the trial will be retraumatizing, he said, but he’s “cautiously optimistic” justice will come.

“I hope that the trial is fair, and we find out the truth,” he said.

Mopreme Shakur also said he wants allegations that Combs was involved to be explored further. In his book, Davis claims that Combs wanted Knight and Shakur killed. Combs has denied having any involvement in Shakur’s death and is currently serving roughly four years in prison after being convicted of prostitution-related charges.

Shakur’s Enduring Legacy

Shakur sold over 75 million records worldwide with hits like “California Love,” “Changes” and “Dear Mama.” His songs spanned from party anthems to deep social commentary. The issues he discussed still resonate with people 30 years later, history professor Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar said.

“I can’t think of anyone else in the history of hip-hop who’s had a greater impact in such a short period of time,” said Ogbar, who is the founding director of the Center for the Study of Popular Music at the University of Connecticut.

What to Watch For

The trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on Monday, August 10. With no prosecutions in the immediate aftermath 30 years ago, the case became a source of fascination among the true crime and rap communities. Several books, documentaries, television series and podcasts have examined the shooting and attempted to determine who was potentially responsible.

As the trial unfolds over the coming weeks, key questions will center on whether prosecutors can convince a jury that Davis — who has publicly implicated himself in his own memoir and interviews — was the architect of one of the most notorious unsolved murders in American music history. For Shakur’s family and legions of fans, the trial represents the closest the case has ever come to accountability.