Former Los Angeles gang member Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been found guilty of the 1996 murder of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur, bringing a decades-long investigation to a historic conclusion.
A Las Vegas jury reached the verdict on Monday, August 31, after deliberating for only a few hours. Davis, 63, was convicted of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, was accused of orchestrating the shooting after his nephew was involved in a confrontation with members of Shakur’s entourage at a Las Vegas casino.
Prosecutors argued that Davis sought revenge following the confrontation. During closing arguments, prosecutor Binu Palal told jurors that Davis obtained a firearm, gathered his associates and went looking for Shakur.
Shakur was in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996, to attend a heavyweight boxing match featuring Mike Tyson. Later that night, while riding in a BMW driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight, Shakur was shot when a white Cadillac pulled alongside the vehicle at a traffic light.
The rapper was struck by multiple bullets and died six days later at the age of 25. Knight was also wounded in the attack but survived.
According to prosecutors, Davis was inside the Cadillac and handed a firearm to another occupant, who allegedly fired at Shakur.
Davis is the only known surviving member of the group that was in the Cadillac that night. He became the sole person charged in connection with Shakur’s murder.
The case remained unsolved for decades before investigators renewed their efforts following the publication of Davis’s 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend. Over the years, Davis had made statements claiming involvement in the killing during interviews with law enforcement and the media.
Those statements became a central part of the prosecution’s case.
Davis later denied responsibility and pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Michael Sanft, argued that Davis’s statements were exaggerated or fabricated, in part to generate publicity for his memoir. The defense maintained that there was no independent evidence connecting Davis to the shooting.
Following the guilty verdict, Davis told Judge Carli Kierny that he intended to appeal.
Davis faces the possibility of life in prison without parole. His sentencing is scheduled for October 13.
Shakur, widely known as 2Pac, remains one of the most influential figures in hip-hop history. The rapper, known for songs including “California Love” and “All Eyez on Me,” became a defining figure of the West Coast rap scene during the intense East Coast-West Coast rivalry of the 1990s.
His killing became one of the most closely watched unsolved cases in music history. Thirty years after his death, the conviction of Davis marks the first major criminal judgment in connection with the murder.
