By Ghazali Ibrahim
Nearly three decades after the killing of hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur, a Las Vegas jury has found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of first-degree murder.
Davis, 63, was convicted on Monday of murder with the use of a deadly weapon in connection with the September 7, 1996, drive-by shooting that killed Shakur.
The verdict followed roughly three hours of jury deliberations, bringing the first conviction in one of the most closely watched unsolved murder cases in hip-hop history.
Prosecutors accused Davis, a former Southside Compton Crips gang leader, of orchestrating the attack after an altercation between Shakur, Death Row Records boss Marion “Suge” Knight and Davis’ nephew, Orlando Anderson, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas earlier that night.
According to prosecutors, Davis obtained a firearm and organised the retaliation as he and three other men followed Shakur and Knight in a white Cadillac.
Shakur was riding in a BMW driven by Knight when the Cadillac pulled alongside them near the Las Vegas Strip and gunfire erupted. Shakur was struck multiple times and died six days later at the age of 25. Knight survived the attack.
Davis was not accused of pulling the trigger. Prosecutors argued that he was the organiser and could therefore be held responsible for the murder.
A major part of the prosecution’s case centred on Davis’ own statements over the years, including interviews with investigators, a documentary appearance and his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend.
Prosecutors argued that his accounts consistently placed him inside the Cadillac and established his role in planning the attack.
Davis’ defence, however, argued that his past accounts were exaggerated and made for financial gain. His lawyer also maintained that prosecutors had no forensic or eyewitness evidence placing Davis at the scene and urged jurors to distinguish between fact and Davis’ various accounts of the night.
Following the verdict, Davis indicated that he would appeal his conviction. He remains in custody pending sentencing and faces the possibility of life imprisonment. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13.
The conviction marks a major breakthrough in a case that has remained a subject of speculation and conspiracy theories since Shakur’s death nearly 30 years ago.
