Former gang member Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been found guilty of murdering rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in 1996, in the first successful prosecution directly linked to one of music’s longest-running unsolved cases.
Davis, 63, was convicted of one count of murder with a deadly weapon after prosecutors argued that he ordered the shooting and supplied the firearm used to kill Shakur. He did not face allegations that he personally pulled the trigger.
The prosecution said the attack was organised as retaliation after Davis’s nephew, Orlando Anderson, was involved in a physical confrontation with Shakur and members of the rapper’s entourage earlier that night.
Davis appeared emotionless as the verdict was read in a Las Vegas courtroom. He told Judge Carli Kierny that he intended to appeal the conviction and is due to return to court for sentencing on 13 October.
“I would like my stuff,” Davis told the judge before proceedings ended, referring to personal belongings including his phone.
He then added: “I would like to appeal this matter.”
The judge told him an appeal could be pursued after sentencing.
Members of Shakur’s family were visibly emotional after the verdict. Relatives held hands, embraced and cried in court, while fans gathered outside the courthouse, with some celebrating and others in tears. Shakur’s sister also embraced one of the prosecutors following the decision.
Shakur was shot on 7 September 1996 and died aged 25. He was one of the most prominent figures in hip-hop at the time and went on to sell more than 75 million records worldwide, becoming one of rap music’s most influential artists.
Davis’s statements central to prosecution case
Prosecutors focused heavily on Davis’s alleged role as the organiser of the shooting.
They said he was inside the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired and had authorised the attack after the confrontation involving Anderson. Anderson had long been identified by investigators as a possible participant in the killing but died in 1998 without being charged.
Davis’s own accounts of the events became key evidence. Over the years, he repeatedly acknowledged being in the vehicle involved in the shooting.
He also discussed his alleged involvement during a confidential police interview in 2008. That interview was initially conducted as part of an investigation into the death of fellow rapper Christopher Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G.
Davis later described his alleged involvement in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, as well as in interviews and other media appearances.
Prosecutor Binu Palal argued during closing submissions that Davis had consistently presented himself as the person in charge. The prosecution also relied on a court ruling allowing the 2008 police interview to be used at trial.
Davis’s defence team offered a different explanation, saying he had exaggerated or invented stories about Shakur’s death to enhance his reputation and make money from books and media appearances.
Defence lawyer Michael Sanft urged jurors not to regard Davis’s accounts as reliable evidence. The defence maintained that his statements reflected bravado rather than genuine admissions of involvement in murder.
The jury rejected that argument. After receiving the case on Monday, jurors deliberated for only a short time before returning a guilty verdict.
Shakur’s murder took place during a period of intense tension between East Coast and West Coast hip-hop, with rivalries involving the Bloods and Crips also influencing parts of the rap scene. The absence of an arrest and conviction for decades fuelled countless theories about who was responsible and why Shakur had been targeted.
Davis’s conviction marks a major turning point for Shakur’s family and the millions of fans who have followed the case for almost 30 years.
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