The trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the man accused of orchestrating the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur, is set to begin in Las Vegas. 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 is scheduled to start on Monday, with the trial expected to last about a month. The case has been unresolved for decades and has been one of the biggest mysteries in the hip-hop world.
Shakur was shot in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996, while riding in a black BMW with music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight. A white Cadillac pulled up beside them, and gunfire erupted, shooting Shakur multiple times. He died six days later, while Knight survived.
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Davis, a leader of the South Side Compton Crips at the time of Shakur’s death, was arrested in 2023 and pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors plan to prove that Davis made the calls that led to Shakur’s death and provided the gun used to shoot him.
Prosecutors expect to call between 35 and 45 witnesses during the trial, including former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and members of Shakur’s family. Leonard Jefferson, a California resident who took the last known photo of Shakur, is also expected to testify.
Denvonta Lee, who was affiliated with the South Side Crips, is expected to testify that rival gangs, the Crips and Mob Piru, were tied to dueling record labels Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records. Lee also testified that Davis was in charge and gave the gun to Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, who gave it to Deandrae “Freaky” Smith.
The trial will take place in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, with Judge Carli Kierny presiding over the case. Seats for the public will be limited, 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.
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As the trial begins, the prosecution will focus on proving Davis’s involvement in Shakur’s death, rather than identifying the person who pulled the trigger. The case has been cold for decades, and the trial may finally bring some closure to Shakur’s family and fans.
The trial is expected to last about a month. The prosecution and defense will present their cases to the jury. The outcome is uncertain, but one thing is clear: the trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis will be a significant moment in the ongoing saga of Tupac Shakur’s killing.
It will be a closely watched event.