LAS VEGAS — The case of rap icon Tupac Shakur’s killing has been unresolved for decades; now the man charged in his 1996 killing in Las Vegas is going to trial.
Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, faces one charge of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in Shakur’s death. Jury selection begins Monday, with the trial scheduled to last about a month.
The trial will bring to a head one of the biggest mysteries in the hip-hop world that gripped the public for decades. Shakur, who also went by the stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, is considered one of the most influential rappers of all time.
Shakur was shot in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996. He was in a black BMW with music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight on their way to Club 662, where Shakur was scheduled to perform, when a white Cadillac pulled up beside them. Gunfire erupted. Shakur, who was in the passenger seat, was shot multiple times and died six days later, while Knight survived.
The case went cold until recent years, when public statements and a tell-all memoir from Davis revived the case. He was a leader of South Side Compton Crips at the time of Shakur’s death. Davis was arrested in 2023 and pleaded not guilty.
Here’s what to know about the trial.
When and where the trial will be held
It will take place in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, with Judge Carli Kierny presiding over the case.
Jury selection starts Monday. That’s expected to take a few days. Then, the prosecution and defence will give opening statements and witness testimony will begin.
Inside the courtroom, seats for the public will be in short supply, with a daily lottery for a chance to get one. A room on the second floor of the court will be open to the public and will show a live feed of the trial.
The trial likely won’t answer ‘who pulled the trigger’
Prosecutors are not arguing that Davis is the one who pulled the trigger that night, and the trial likely won’t confirm who fired at Shakur. Instead, prosecutors plan to prove that Davis made the calls that led to Shakur’s death and provided the gun used to shoot Shakur.
Davis is the co-author of the memoir “Compton Street Legends,” which describes his exact role in the shooting. The book says that Davis obtained a handgun from an associate and tossed it into the back seat of the Cadillac but did not say who fired the fatal shots.
Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, Davis’ nephew, has long been considered the suspect who pulled the trigger, but charges were never brought against him in the killing. He died two years after Shakur’s death in an unrelated gang shootout in Compton, California.
Two others — Deandrae “Freaky” Smith and Terry “Bubble Up” Brown — were in the car with Davis and Anderson, but they have since died as well.
Who is expected to testify
Prosecutors expect to call between 35 and 45 witnesses during the trial, ranging from people who saw Shakur moments before he was shot to people who were in both Shakur and Davis’ orbits at the time.
Their witness list includes former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and members of Shakur’s family. However not everyone on the list will necessarily testify. Rather, attorneys may ask potential jurors if they’re familiar with certain names.
Leonard Jefferson, a California resident who pulled up next to the BMW and snapped a photograph, which became the last known photo of Shakur, is expected to testify.
The state is also expected to call Denvonta Lee, who was affiliated with the South Side Crips.
In grand jury testimony, Lee testified that rival gangs, the Crips and Mob Piru, were tied to dueling record labels Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records.
Though he wasn’t there that night, Lee also testified that Anderson didn’t have a clear shot, so Smith took the gun and did the shooting. He also said Davis was in charge and gave the gun to Anderson, who gave it to Smith.
The witness list includes others who previously testified to the grand jury, including Malcolm Greenidge, a friend of Shakur’s who was traveling in his entourage that night. Reggie Wright, who grew up in Compton and did security for Death Row Records, is also expected to testify.
But other witnesses will be new, including a former member of Death Row’s security team and a former member of Mob Piru who was at Club 662 the night Shakur was shot.
Witnesses also include former police officers and detectives, as well as gang experts.
Davis’ defence attorney is expected to call less than a handful of witnesses, including one expert in the area of false confessions and coercive interrogation techniques.
Celebrities could be at the trial
Prosecutors requested to have multiple out-of-state witnesses testify, and it’s unclear who those people are.
One of the witnesses is in prison in California, according to court records. Knight is serving a 28-year prison sentence in California for running over and killing a Compton businessman outside a burger stand in January 2015. He previously said he would not testify in Davis’ case.
As the only other living eyewitness who was in one of the two vehicles that night, Knight’s testimony could make or break the case.
Davis’ defence attorney Michael Sanft told The Associated Press that Knight would be a good witness for Davis’ defence if he did testify.
Fans have also speculated whether Sean “Diddy” Combs will testify. Combs is currently serving a four-year prison sentence in New Jersey following his conviction of prostitution-related charges.
In his book, Davis alleged Combs wanted Knight and Shakur dead and offered Davis money to kill them. Combs has long denied having any involvement in the shooting.
A spokesperson for Combs did not return emailed requests asking whether he plans to testify and his name does not appear on any witness list.
Jessica Hill, The Associated Press
