Jury Finds Duane 'Keffe D' Davis Guilty of Murder in 1996 Tupac Shakur Killing

Landmark Conviction in Tupac Shakur Case

LAS VEGAS — A jury found Duane "Keffe D" Davis guilty of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon in the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur, marking the first conviction in a case that had remained unresolved for nearly three decades.

The verdict was delivered Monday (Aug 31) after a weekslong trial in Las Vegas, with jurors deliberating for less than three hours, as reported by NPR and WTOP. Davis, 63, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips street gang, was not accused of firing the fatal shots. Instead, prosecutors argued that he orchestrated the attack, providing the gun and organizing the retaliation.

Prosecution's Case: A Mastermind, Not a Shooter

Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors in closing arguments that Davis acquired a gun and "went hunting" for Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight after the men had beaten Davis's nephew earlier that night. Palal said, "He is responsible of the murder of Tupac Shakur. Tell him you hear him. Find him guilty."

Prosecutors relied heavily on Davis's own statements, according to WTOP and NPR. Over the years, Davis repeatedly placed himself inside the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired. In interviews and in his 2019 memoir "Compton Street Legend," he described obtaining a gun and passing it to the backseat. Prosecutors contended that his changing stories still showed he called for the gunfire as a powerful gang leader whom the younger men in the car, including his nephew, would obey.

The Star noted that under Nevada law, a person can be convicted of murder for helping another commit the crime. Davis was arrested in Las Vegas in 2023 after a renewed police investigation and had pleaded not guilty.

Defense Strategy: Fabrication for Profit

Davis's defense attorney, Michael Sanft, argued that there was no physical evidence connecting his client to the shooting. Sanft portrayed Davis as a liar and braggart who invented stories to profit from them, a strategy The Star described as adopted by the defense. WTOP reported that Sanft argued Davis fabricated statements for money and notoriety, calling his book and public disclosures "dramatized bravado."

During the trial, prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo pointed to a scrapbook Davis kept containing articles about Shakur, as NPR reported. Palal held up the memoir and played an interview in which Davis encouraged people to buy it to get the "real truth," according to the same outlet.

The shooting death of the Notorious G. six months after Shakur's killing also came up during the trial. Law enforcement witnesses said Davis was briefly a suspect in that killing before being discounted, as reported by NPR.

Sentencing and Aftermath

After the verdict, Judge Carli Kierny ordered Davis held without bail, according to WTOP. Davis's sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 13, and he could face life in prison. WTOP noted that prosecutors voluntarily dismissed an extra prison sentence related to gang activity after the verdict.

Shakur's sister, Sekyiwa "Set" Shakur, cried and hugged prosecutors after the verdict was read, as reported by NPR. Davis's son covered his face with one hand.