Photo: r2hox / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Cropped
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — A Las Vegas jury has found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the 1996 killing of iconic rapper and poet Tupac Shakur, bringing a conviction nearly 30 years after the shooting.
Davis, 63, was the only person charged in Shakur’s killing. Prosecutors accused him of helping organize the retaliatory drive-by attack and providing the firearm used after Shakur and others were involved in a confrontation with Davis’ nephew, Orlando Anderson, earlier that night. Prosecutors did not contend that Davis personally fired the shots.
Shakur was shot on Sept. 7, 1996, while riding in a vehicle near the Las Vegas Strip. The 25-year-old beloved musician died from his injuries several days later.
The prosecution’s case relied heavily on statements Davis made over the years, including interviews, conversations with investigators and material from his memoir. Prosecutors pointed to Davis’ previous accounts in which he described being in the vehicle involved in the shooting and providing the gun used in the attack.
Related: Tupac Shakur music video
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Davis’ defense challenged those statements, arguing they were exaggerated or made for publicity and were not backed by sufficient physical evidence. A former Las Vegas homicide detective also testified during the trial that he had been unable to independently verify Davis’ earlier account of his participation.
Under Nevada law, prosecutors did not need to prove Davis personally pulled the trigger to hold him criminally responsible for the killing. Jurors returned the guilty verdict Monday after roughly three hours of deliberations.
Davis now faces the possibility of life in prison, with sentencing to be determined by the court. The verdict marks the first conviction in a case that remained unresolved for nearly three decades and became one of the most widely followed killings in hip-hop history.
Tupac Shakur’s legendary career spanned the late 80s but really started taking off in the 1990s, he is known for his hits “California Love”, “Dear Mama”, “Changes”, “Hit Em Up”, “How Do You Want It”, “Keep Your Head Up”, “I Aint Mad at Cha”, “To Live and Die in L.A.”, “Ambitionz Az A Ridah”, and much more.
Bellingham Metro News will provide updates as additional information becomes available.
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