A man accused of orchestrating the fatal shooting of rapper Tupac Shakur nearly three decades ago is on trial in Las Vegas. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, is facing one count of murder with a deadly weapon with intent to promote or assist a criminal gang. Davis has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought by prosecutors.
The trial is expected to last about a month and will examine events from the night of September 7, 1996, according to wivb.com. Tupac Shakur and his associate Marion “Suge” Knight were watching a boxing match at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. After the event, a confrontation occurred outside between Shakur’s group and another group that included Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson.
Authorities say the shooting was an act of retaliation for the earlier fight. Davis’ 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” claims the group beat Anderson and that this led to the fatal shooting. The book was co-authored and is central to the trial, though Davis’ defense tried to keep it out of evidence.
Later that night, Shakur and Knight were heading to a nightclub when gunfire erupted near the Las Vegas Strip. Shakur was shot multiple times and died six days later from his injuries.
Knight survived with minor injuries and is one of the few people who saw what happened that night. Prosecutors say Davis called for the shooting and provided the weapon used in the attack.
Davis was one of four men in the white Cadillac that pulled up beside Shakur’s vehicle. The other three men involved have all died since the shooting.
Neither the car nor the gun used in the shooting was ever recovered by law enforcement. The case is tied to a broader conflict between rival record labels and gang groups, including Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records.
The jury for the trial consists of six men and ten women with four alternates seated. Defense attorney Michael Sanft will represent Davis, who has said he took the case pro bono.
Sanft previously represented high-profile clients including Michele Fiore and Andrew Cote. Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo will lead the prosecution in the case.
Judge Carli Kierny presides over the trial and has a background as a public defender. Prosecutors expect to call between 35 and 45 people to the stand.
These include people who saw Shakur moments before his death and others with connections to both Shakur and Davis. Knight is listed as a potential witness but has said he does not want to participate in the trial.
Knight is currently serving a 28-year sentence for a hit-and-run incident in California. Sean “Diddy” Combs, another figure from the hip-hop scene, will not testify in the case.
Davis’ defense intends to call only a handful of witnesses and has not said if Davis himself will testify. The three men who were in the car but did not live to testify include Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson.
Anderson died two years after the shooting in an unrelated incident at a Compton car wash. Deandrae “Freaky” Smith was also in the backseat of the Cadillac and later told a grand jury he fired the shots.
Smith died in 2004 from what authorities said were natural causes at age 30. Terry “Bubble Up” Brown was the driver of the car and died in a 2015 shooting.
The trial marks a significant moment for fans and those following the cold case of Tupac’s death. Davis’ memoir, which was central to reviving interest in the case, will be used as evidence during the proceedings.
The case is being closely watched as it may provide answers after more than two decades. Davis has not been accused of actually firing the shots himself, according to a report from AOL.
In his memoir, Davis said he felt remorse for what happened to Tupac but believed the group had crossed a line. Davis wrote that the confrontation with Anderson was the reason the shooting occurred.
The judge denied a request to exclude the memoir from evidence, calling it Davis’ own account. Prosecutors also plan to use interviews Davis gave to police in 2008 and 2009.
Tupac was a polarizing figure during his life, with fans seeing him as a voice for urban struggles and critics calling his music glorifying violence. He was known for his powerful lyrics and strong presence in the hip-hop world.
Knight, who drove the vehicle where the shooting happened, is serving time for a fatal hit-and-run. Some close to Tupac have expressed surprise at how his fan base has remained strong over the years.
IMAGE: Tupac Shakur State of California DMV / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)