A Las Vegas jury found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of first-degree murder on Monday for orchestrating the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur, marking the first conviction in a case that has gripped hip-hop fans for nearly three decades, according to CNN and NBC News.
Jury Reaches Verdict in Under Three Hours
Davis, 63, was convicted of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang, following an 11-day trial in Clark County, Nevada. Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before returning the verdict, according to Al Jazeera.
Prosecutors did not accuse Davis of pulling the trigger. Instead, they said he orchestrated the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur near the Las Vegas Strip on September 7, 1996, in retaliation after members of Shakur’s entourage beat Davis’ nephew at a casino earlier that night, according to ABC News.
Case Built on Davis’ Own Words
Davis was the only person ever charged in Shakur’s killing, and much of the prosecution’s case rested on his own past statements, including police interviews and a 2019 memoir in which he placed himself inside the vehicle the shots were fired from, according to NBC News.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors that Davis had confessed to police, television interviewers, and authors of his own book over the years, according to CBS News. Defense attorney Michael Sanft argued Davis fabricated or exaggerated his account for money and notoriety, and that no independent evidence tied him to the crime beyond his own claims.
Decades-Long Investigation
Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips street gang, was not arrested in connection with the case until 2023, nearly 27 years after the shooting. He had pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, cried and embraced prosecutors after the verdict was read, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Sentencing Set for October
Davis faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny set his sentencing for October 13, according to ABC News.
Davis told the judge he plans to appeal the conviction, according to Al Jazeera. He remained largely composed as the verdict was read, standing silently beside his attorney with his hands clasped.
