A landmark verdict has been delivered in one of the most closely followed murder cases in US hip-hop history. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, was found guilty of orchestrating the fatal drive-by shooting of Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996. Davis said after the verdict that he intends to appeal.
Prosecutors: He supplied the gun and organized the shooting
Prosecutors argued that Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, did not personally fire the shots that killed Shakur but ordered the attack and supplied the gun used in the shooting.
According to prosecutors, Davis’ nephew Orlando Anderson fired the weapon. Anderson denied involvement in Shakur’s murder and died in an unrelated shooting in 2008.
The prosecution said the killing was planned in retaliation after Anderson became involved in a fight with Shakur and members of his entourage in Las Vegas just hours before the shooting.
His own words became key evidence
Statements Davis made over the years became a central part of the prosecution’s case.
During a secret police interview in 2008, Davis acknowledged that he was inside the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired, although he said he was not the person who pulled the trigger.
Davis also discussed his role in the events surrounding Shakur’s death in his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend.” Prosecutors also presented statements he had made in documentaries, podcasts and media interviews.
In closing arguments, prosecutor Binu Palal told jurors that Davis had repeatedly described his own responsibility for the killing and portrayed him as the decision-maker behind the attack.
Defence: He told stories to sell books
Davis’ defence team argued that his previous statements were exaggerated and should not be taken as truthful admissions.
Defence attorney Michael Sanft told jurors that Davis had fabricated stories for publicity and financial gain, including to sell books, and argued that there was insufficient evidence proving he organized the murder.
The jury returned a guilty verdict on one count of murder with a deadly weapon only hours after beginning deliberations.
Tupac Shakur was 25
Tupac Shakur was shot in a drive-by attack in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996. He died at the age of 25 while at the height of his career as one of the most influential voices in rap music.
Shakur sold more than 75 million records worldwide, while his killing remained one of America’s most famous unsolved murder cases for nearly 30 years.
The shooting took place during a period of intense rivalry between the East Coast and West Coast rap scenes, as well as tensions involving the Bloods and Crips street gangs.
Sentencing set for October 13
Members of Shakur’s family held hands, hugged and cried as the guilty verdict was read in court. Fans gathered outside the courthouse also reacted emotionally to the decision.
Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny scheduled Davis’ sentencing for October 13.
Davis told the court that he intends to appeal the verdict.
Source: NationalTurk
