What to Know
- Duane "Keffe D" Davis is on trial for the murder of rap artist Tupac Shakur on the night of Sept. 7, 1996, in Las Vegas.
- Prosecutors contend that Davis did not pull the trigger, but planned the shooting that killed the rap icon at 25 in retaliation of the beating of his nephew in the lobby of the MGM Grand.
- The defense labelled the prosecution's case "fiction" and said Davis wasn't previously charged for the 1996 killing because law enforcement knew that he was "full of crap."
- No one had been charged in the shooting that gripped the hip-hop community until Davis was indicted in 2023.
- Central to the case is Davis' 2008 interview with a federal task force investigating the killing of Shakur's rival, the Notorious B.I.G., March 9, 1997, outside the Petersen Automotive Museum.
- Davis instead spoke about the Shakur shooting and described handing a gun to the men in the back seat of a white Cadillac that fired on a black BMW with Shakur and Marion "Suge" Knight inside.
- If convicted, Davis faces life in prison.
Jurors hearing evidence in the Tupac Shakur murder trial listened Thursday to previous statements provided to law enforcement by the man charged in connection with the 1996 shooting in Las Vegas.
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WATCH HEREDuane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, is the only person ever charged in Shakur's drive-by fatal shooting at age 25 after a heavyweight boxing match and casino lobby brawl at the MGM Grand. Prosecutors contend that Duane "Keffe" Davis, a former LA gang leader, planned the shooting that shook the hip-hop world on the night of Sept. 7, 1996, and portrayed him as the "one person who has a hard time being silent." Davis is charged with murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in Shakur's death.
He pleaded not guilty. If convicted, Davis faces life in prison.
On Thursday, jurors heard Davis' 2008 interview with authorities when he talked about the night of the shooting. Segments of the recording were played during opening statements. Davis described his vehicle pulling alongside the black BMW occupied by Shakur and Maron "Suge" Knight
Earlier this week, prosecutors showed jurors video of Shakur's entourage attacking Davis’ nephew Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson outside the boxing match at the MGM Grand hours before the shooting. Shakur was at the Mike Tyson–Bruce Seldon heavyweight fight before the brawl in the casino lobby.
Davis spent the next two hours planning how to get even, prosecutors said.
Attorneys have repeatedly referenced Davis' own words related to the killing, including in documentaries, an autobiography and the 2008 interview with a federal task force investigating the killing of Shakur's rival, the Notorious B.I.G. The Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist was shot March 9, 1997 outside the Petersen Automotive Museum at Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue on LA's Miracle Mile.
Instead of talking about that shooting with investigators, Davis spoke at length about the Shakur shooting and described handing a gun to the men in the back seat of a white Cadillac that fired on the black BMW.
The prosecution said it plans to call 35 to 45 witnesses in a trial expected to take about one month.
Davis' attorney called the prosecution's narrative "fiction." After opening statements and the first testimony Monday, attorney Michael Sanft said he felt good about the case and reiterated that his client's confession does not mean it was factual.
Sanft said Davis wasn't previously charged for the 1996 killing because law enforcement knew that he was "full of crap."
Davis was indicted in 2023.
Shakur remains a cultural icon and is considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time. He was nominated for six Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
