‘Keffe D’ Davis Convicted Of Tupac Shakur’s 1996 Murder
Nearly three decades after Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas, a jury has found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of the rapper’s murder.
Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, was convicted on Monday in a case that had remained one of America’s most closely watched unsolved killings.
The jury found him guilty of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
“Count one, murder with use of a deadly weapon, guilty of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon,” the jury foreperson announced.
Davis now faces the possibility of life imprisonment without parole.
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Shooting followed casino confrontation
The fatal shooting happened on September 7, 1996, after Shakur attended a Mike Tyson heavyweight boxing match at a Las Vegas casino.
An altercation involving members of Shakur’s entourage reportedly took place after the fight.
Prosecutors said Davis became determined to retaliate after his nephew was beaten during the confrontation.
“He acquired a firearm, got his group together, and went hunting for Shakur,” prosecutor Binu Palal told jurors during closing arguments.
Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight later left the casino in a BMW.
As they waited at a red light, a white Cadillac reportedly pulled alongside their vehicle.
A gunman inside the Cadillac opened fire, striking Shakur four times.
Knight was also wounded in the attack.
Shakur, who was 25, succumbed to his injuries six days later.
Prosecutors say Davis ordered the shooting
The State argued that Davis orchestrated the attack and supplied the weapon used by the shooter.
According to prosecutors, Davis handed a firearm to someone in the back seat of the Cadillac and directed that person to shoot Shakur.
Davis was the only surviving occupant of the Cadillac from that night.
The identity of the person who actually pulled the trigger has remained a central mystery in the case.
Davis is also the only person who has been charged in connection with Shakur’s killing.
His own words became key evidence
The prosecution’s case was heavily tied to statements Davis made over several years.
Investigators had struggled to make progress for decades because of limited evidence.
That changed after the publication of Davis’s 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend.
In the book, Davis acknowledged being in the front passenger area of the Cadillac and said he handed a firearm to people sitting behind him.
However, he did not identify the person who fired the shots.
Davis had also previously discussed his alleged involvement during interviews with authorities and the media.
Prosecutors presented clips of those statements to the jury during closing arguments.
Defence says Davis was selling a story
Davis’s defence team disputed the reliability of his statements.
His lawyer, Michael Sanft, argued that Davis had fabricated or exaggerated his involvement to generate publicity and promote his memoir.
“You’re reading a book that is fiction and not fact,” Sanft told the jury.
The defence maintained that there was no independent evidence connecting Davis to the murder beyond his own statements.
Davis had also pleaded not guilty after previously making claims about his involvement.
Following Monday’s verdict, he told Judge Carli Kierny that he intended to appeal.
Sentencing set for October
Davis remains in custody following his conviction.
The court has scheduled his sentencing for October 13.
His conviction marks a major development in a case that remained unresolved for almost 30 years and has generated countless theories about who was responsible for Shakur’s death.