The defense in the long-running Tupac Shakur murder trial has begun presenting its case after prosecutors rested their side of the evidence. Duane “Keffe D” Davis is charged in connection with the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed the rapper.
Davis’ defense team called three former Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers to testify on Thursday, according to Rolling Stone. The defense has not yet decided whether Davis himself will take the stand in his own defense, according to a report from usaherald.com.
Former officer Stan Hyt said he was working overtime on the night of the shooting due to the large turnout for the Mike Tyson fight, fox5vegas.com reported. Hyt was stationed at Suge Knight’s house and saw a light-colored Cadillac arrive with other vehicles in the convoy. He also stated that he did not see any weapons among those in the entourage.
Another officer, Charlie Mangrum, testified about his role monitoring the party at Knight’s residence on the night of the shooting. Mangrum said there had been similar parties after Tyson fights and that police were present to manage crowds. He described how a BMW with Tupac arrived at the gate along with several other cars.
The third witness called by the defense was former homicide detective Dan Long. Long worked on the case from 2002 to 2017 and said he had interviewed Davis in Los Angeles. He also mentioned that some of the investigation files were lost during a shift to electronic storage systems.
Prosecutors argue that Davis was the leader of the South Side Compton Crips and orchestrated the attack. They claim he told his nephew Orlando Anderson to fire at the BMW carrying Tupac and Suge Knight. Davis has previously admitted being in a white Cadillac with Anderson and two others that night.
However, the defense challenges the physical evidence connecting him to the crime scene. They also question the reliability of Davis’ own statements made during a 2008 police interview. Defense attorney Michael Sanft said those accounts were exaggerated for publicity and book sales. Sanft also pointed out that no physical evidence places Davis in Las Vegas on the night of the shooting.
The trial continues with closing arguments scheduled for Monday. Jurors will now hear final arguments from both sides before deciding whether Davis is legally responsible for Tupac’s death.
The case has drawn intense public attention since the rapper was killed in 1996. Davis’ arrest in 2023 brought renewed interest in the unsolved killing.
Prosecutors say that under Nevada law, someone can be held accountable even without pulling the trigger. They argue Davis was a shot caller in the gang and gave permission for the attack.
The defense has also raised questions about how thoroughly the case was investigated in the past. Long said that some of his reports were misplaced when the department changed its systems. He also mentioned that the case file was locked down due to curious employees accessing it.
Davis has not yet decided whether he will testify in his own defense. The trial is a major development in a case that remains one of the most famous unsolved murders in music history.
It also brings up questions about whether other suspects may have been involved in the attack. Former associate James McDonald, known as “Mob James,” was questioned about a theory involving another person. He rejected the idea that anyone else wanted Tupac dead for power reasons.
The defense is seeking to cast doubt on the prosecution’s version of events. They are focusing on testimony from police officers who were present that night.
The trial is expected to continue with the prosecution’s rebuttal and final arguments.