Key Takeaways
- Nearly 30 years after 2Pac's 1996 drive-by killing, 63-year-old Duane "Keffe D" Davis heads to trial on August 10 as the sole defendant, facing one count of murder with a deadly weapon tied to alleged gang activity and a potential life-without-parole sentence.
- Prosecutors say they don’t need to prove who pulled the trigger, arguing instead that Davis was the shot caller who supplied the gun in a revenge hit after 2Pac's crew beat his nephew Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson at the MGM Grand amid a long-running Death Row vs. Bad Boy feud.
- Authorities point to Davis' own 2019 memoir and interviews as key evidence that revived the cold case, while 2Pac’s stepbrother, Mopreme Shakur, says he's "cautiously optimistic" and wants the trial to fully explore long-rumored ties to Sean "Diddy" Combs, who has denied any involvement.
2Pac's murder trial is just days away, and all eyes will be on Duane "Keffe D" Davis in court.
Almost 30 years after the fatal 1996 drive-by shooting, Keffe D will face trial on Monday (August 10). The 63-year-old first pleaded not guilty in 2023 to a single count of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang.
According to Associated Press, prosecutors do not need to prove who pulled the trigger but hope to show that Davis was the shot caller who provided the weapon.
The news agency also notes that if Davis had not co-authored his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, or discussed the killing in interviews, prosecutors would likely not have charged anyone.
According to grand jury transcripts reviewed by AP, the shooting culminated from a longstanding feud between Marion "Suge" Knight's Death Row Records, associated with the Mob Piru gang, and Sean "Diddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records, protected by the South Side Compton Crips.
Hours before the shooting, prosecutors allege 2Pac's (real name Tupac Shakur) entourage beat up Davis' nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, at the MGM Grand and that Davis orchestrated the retaliation.
That night, a Cadillac claimed to be carrying Davis and three others pulled alongside Knight's BMW near the Las Vegas Strip, and gunfire erupted. Shakur died a week later on September 13, 1996, while Knight survived with minor injuries. Davis is the only alleged passenger from the Cadillac who is still alive.
"I hope that the trial is fair, and we find out the truth,” said 2Pac's stepbrother, Maurice "Mopreme" Shakur, per AP. Maurice also said he wants the allegations of Diddy's involvement explored further.
Diddy has previously denied any involvement in the murder and is currently serving a prison sentence of roughly four years on unrelated prostitution convictions.
