Tupac Shakur Murder Case Goes to Trial Nearly Three Decades After Killing

A murder trial centered on one of hip-hop’s most infamous unsolved killings began Monday in Las Vegas as 63-year-old Duane “Keffe D” Davis faces charges in connection with the September 7, 1996 shooting death of rapper Tupac Shakur. The case, which went cold for decades, has captivated fans and music industry observers who believed prosecution might never materialize. Davis has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang.

Shakur, age 25 at the time, was shot multiple times near the Las Vegas Strip while riding in a vehicle with Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight following a Mike Tyson boxing match at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The rapper died six days after the shooting. Knight survived with minor injuries. Prosecutors contend the violence stemmed from a street brawl that erupted earlier that evening involving Shakur, Knight and their associates against a group that included Davis’s nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson.

Prosecutors allege Davis orchestrated the shooting and provided the weapon, though neither the gun nor the vehicle was recovered. Three other men who occupied the Cadillac that night have since died, and the actual shooter’s identity remains unclear. Davis’s 2019 memoir “Compton Street Legend” reignited interest in the case and supplied statements that prosecutors now view as crucial evidence, despite defense efforts to exclude the book from trial proceedings.

The prosecution plans to present 35 to 45 witnesses, potentially including Knight, the only other surviving eyewitness besides the defendant. Defense attorney Michael Sanft, representing Davis pro bono, has indicated the state lacks direct evidence linking his client to directing the shooting and relies on witnesses absent from the scene. Judge Carli Kierny is overseeing the case, which is expected to last approximately one month.