Opening statements are set to begin Monday in the long-awaited trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the man accused of orchestrating the 1996 killing of rap legend Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. The case is expected to unfold over several weeks and revisit one of hip-hop’s most infamous unsolved murders.
Davis, 63, faces a murder charge involving the use of a deadly weapon, with prosecutors alleging the crime was carried out to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang. He has pleaded not guilty and could face life in prison if convicted.
Shakur was just 25 when he was fatally shot in a drive-by attack on Sept. 7, 1996. He died six days later from his injuries. The murder remained unsolved for decades, with no one charged until Davis was indicted in 2023.
Shakur’s legacy has only grown since his death. Widely regarded as one of the most influential rappers in music history, he received six Grammy nominations and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. He has also received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and had a street in Oakland named in his honor.
Prosecutors expect to call between 35 and 45 witnesses during the trial, while Davis’ defense team is expected to present testimony from only a small number of witnesses.
Members of Shakur’s family are expected to attend the proceedings. His stepbrother, Maurice “Mopreme” Shakur, has said being in court will be painful for the family but emphasized the importance of being there for Tupac.
“We’re gonna stand by Pac as we always have,” he said.
Friends, relatives and fans of Shakur have also traveled to Las Vegas for the trial. Among them is music producer Darryl Harper, who worked with Shakur at Death Row Records and said the rapper became a close personal friend during the final months of his life.
Harper said he hopes the proceedings finally establish who was responsible for the shooting and bring some measure of justice to Shakur.
Shakur’s cousins Kendrick Lesane and William Lesane also attended jury selection after traveling from Atlanta. William Lesane said he wants accountability after nearly three decades without an arrest or conviction.
Prosecutors allege Davis helped organize the shooting but was not the person who fired the fatal shots. According to the prosecution, the attack was motivated by revenge after Shakur and members of his entourage assaulted Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas earlier that night.
The shooting was carried out from a white Cadillac occupied by Davis and three other men. All three of the other occupants have since died.
Davis became a central figure in the investigation years later after discussing the shooting publicly. In 2008, he spoke with investigators examining the deaths of Shakur and fellow rapper Christopher Wallace, known as The Notorious B.I.G. At the time, he had an agreement protecting his statements from being used against him in the Shakur case.
Nearly a decade later, however, Davis released a memoir and gave interviews in which he described his involvement and the events surrounding the shooting. Prosecutors say those public statements helped revive the investigation and ultimately contributed to his prosecution.
Davis’ defense disputes the prosecution’s interpretation of his book, “Compton Street Legend.” His attorney, Michael Sanft, argues that Davis helped write the book primarily to make money and that it should not be treated as a reliable account of the shooting.
The defense also questions how much of the book was actually written by Davis and how much came from co-author Yusuf Jah. Jah is expected to be among the potential witnesses.
Prosecutors acknowledge that parts of Davis’ account may have been exaggerated but say the trial will distinguish between factual statements, embellishments and false claims.
Davis has also recently claimed that he was not present when Shakur was shot, a statement that conflicts with portions of his own book. In the memoir, Davis described traveling from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for the boxing match attended by Shakur and recounted details about where he stayed and what happened before and after the shooting.
The conflicting accounts are expected to become a central issue as prosecutors and defense attorneys present their cases and a jury weighs the evidence surrounding one of the most closely watched murders in music history.
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