The murder trial for Duane “Keffe D” Davis is scheduled to commence on Monday. Davis, a former gang leader, is accused of orchestrating the drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of rap icon Tupac Shakur nearly 30 years ago.
Prosecutors claim Davis planned the hit and provided the gun to the assassin. This followed an altercation involving Davis’ nephew and Shakur hours before at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Although Davis is not accused of firing the gun, he faces charges of murder with a deadly weapon linked to promoting or assisting criminal gang activity.
In Nevada, aiding in a murder can lead to conviction. The prosecution intends to rely heavily on Davis’s 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” which contains his accounts of the events. Davis has publicly stated that he was in the vehicle that approached Shakur and music producer Marion “Suge” Knight at a Las Vegas stoplight, where gunfire erupted.
Davis writes in his memoir that Shakur reached for a weapon, prompting the gunfire. He said, “Tupac made an erratic move and began to reach down beneath his seat. It was the first and only time in my life that I could relate to the police command, ‘Keep your hands where I can see them.’ Instead, Pac pulled out a strap, and that’s when the fireworks started.”
Authorities reported no weapon was found in Shakur’s car. The alleged motive, according to Davis, was an altercation earlier in the night involving his nephew, Orlando Anderson, and Shakur. Anderson, often suspected to be the gunman, passed away in 1998. Davis claims Shakur’s attack on Anderson prompted their retaliatory response. “We couldn’t let no record company studio gangsters do us like that,” Davis stated in his book.
Davis also claims he possesses extensive knowledge about the circumstances surrounding both Tupac and Biggie’s killings. Potential witnesses for the prosecution include Suge Knight, who is currently serving a 28-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter, and Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, previously an officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department at the time of Shakur’s death. Former Death Row Records security head Reggie Wright Jr. has been subpoenaed and denies organizing the killing, despite Davis’s allegations.
Sean “Diddy” Combs, whom Davis alleged had intentions against Shakur and Knight, will not testify. Combs is currently serving a federal sentence related to prostitution offenses.
Reporting contributed by Micheal Ramsey from NewsNation. This is copyrighted material by Nexstar Media Inc. (2026). Unauthorized publication, broadcast, or redistribution is prohibited.