Key Takeaways
- Duane "Keffe D" Davis, a former South Side Compton Crips shot-caller, is on trial in Las Vegas for orchestrating Tupac Shakur’s 1996 murder, accused of supplying the gun and directing the drive-by shooting as revenge for Tupac beating his nephew Orlando Anderson earlier that night.
- Prosecutors are leaning heavily on Keffe D’s own words from his memoir Compton Street Legend, while the defense argues the book was exaggerated for entertainment, the decades-old investigation is flawed, and there’s no solid corroborating evidence.
- The case matters as the first-ever prosecution in Tupac’s killing and a potential final word on a legendary hip-hop cold case tied to ’90s East Coast–West Coast tensions and gang rivalries, with Keffe D facing a possible life-without-parole sentence if convicted.
Who killed Tupac Shakur? It has become one of the most infamous cold cases. And nearly 30 years after the rapper was gunned down on the Las Vegas Strip, there might be something close to resolution.
On Monday, August 17th, opening statements began for the trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis, the 63-year-old man who is being accused of setting off the killing of the legendary rapper.
With weeks of testimony expected, here is everything you need to know about the Keffe D trial.
What Is the Keffe D 2Pac Murder Trial?
Duane Keith Davis, better known as Keffe D, is on trial in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas for the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur. Keffe D has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors aren't claiming Keffe D pulled the trigger—rather, that he handed the gun to an associate in the back seat of their car and directed him to shoot the rapper.
According to prosecutors, the move was an act of revenge because Tupac had assaulted Keffe D’s nephew, Orlando Anderson, just a couple of hours earlier. During opening statements, Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal said, "Let's be clear, Duane Davis did not pull the trigger. But he did plan the shooting in retaliation for the beating of his nephew. Remarkably, you will learn that from Duane Davis himself."
The shooting occurred on September 7, 1996, right after the Bruce Seldon vs. Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand, nearly 30 years ago. The defense, led by Michael Sanft, used this delayed timeline as part of his argument, questioning why the DA is bringing this case to trial only now.
"No one corroborates any of this," Sanft told the jury, adding: "What facts do they have after 30 years?"
Also part of the defense is the claim that the book is exaggerated. During a hearing last month, Sanft said, "We're putting way too much credence and value and weight on statements that are made for entertainment purposes only."
In fact, Keffe D's defense has been trying to keep the book out of the trial. The book was written with Yusuf Jah, and the defense mentioned an interview the police conducted with Jah in which he admitted he wrote the book himself based on conversations he had with Keffe D. But that he "ad-libbed" parts of the book. He also added that he sent the book in and Keffe D didn't have any changes, adding, "Honestly, I don't think he read it."
Why Does This Trial Matter?
For decades, the question of who killed Tupac Shakur and why sat unsolved. Then, in 2023, Keffe D was arrested. While there have been years of speculation and rumors—even Sean "Diddy" Combs has been accused—this is the first time anyone has faced criminal prosecution for the murder.
Not only can this trial bring a conclusion to one of the most infamous cold cases of all time, one involving a figure considered to be a rap GOAT, but the trial is expected to pull back the curtain on the East Coast vs. West Coast feud that dominated hip-hop in the '90s, and the ways the wars between the Crips and Bloods fueled some of that animosity.
If convicted, Keffe D could face up to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors also claim that everyone else involved with the shooting is dead, meaning Keffe D is the only defendant—and really, the last living witness to what actually happened that night in Las Vegas.
Who Is Keffe D?
Duane Keith Davis was born in Compton, California, on June 14, 1963. As a kid, he joined the South Side Compton Crips, and over the years he rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a "shot caller"—one of the gang's key decision-makers. According to prosecutors, he was also very successful—they claim he ran a multi-million-dollar, multi-state drug empire.
Known by his street name Keffe D, Davis has never been shy about his past. In 2019, he published a memoir called Compton Street Legend that detailed his criminal history. That book is where he admitted to being in the car from which the shots that killed Tupac were fired. He also hasn't been shy about this on camera, appearing on VladTV multiple times detailing his criminal past and the role he played in Pac's death.
Even before the book, Keffe D talked to the FBI in 1998 and again in 1999, when he admitted he had been in Las Vegas at the time of the shooting. According to Palal, he admitted to his role in the killing in an interview with Las Vegas police in 1999.
What Happened the Night Tupac Was Shot?
On September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight attended the Bruce Seldon vs. Mike Tyson WBA heavyweight championship fight at the MGM Grand. It was a short night, with Tyson winning by KO in the first round.
After leaving the match, Trevon "Tre" Lane, a member of the Mob Piru and friend of Suge Knight, saw Orlando Anderson, who was from the rival South Side Compton Crips, in the MGM Grand lobby. The two allegedly had history; a couple of months earlier, Anderson had attempted to steal Lane's Death Row chain in a Foot Locker.
Shakur punched and dropped Anderson. Then, both Shakur and Knight began beating him before security broke it up. All of this was captured on surveillance.
Shakur returned to his hotel, the Luxor Las Vegas, and told his girlfriend Kidada Jones about the fight. He then went back out, this time to Club 662, which was also owned by Suge. He was heading there to perform at a charity concert.
At 11:15 p.m. PDT, a white Cadillac pulled alongside the car the two were in and opened fire. Shakur was shot four times: twice in the chest, once in the arm, and once in the thigh. Knight was also wounded but survived.
Shakur was taken to University Medical Center, where he died six days later, on September 13, 1996. Orlando Anderson was suspected in the murder but maintained his innocence. He was killed in an unrelated gang shootout on May 29, 1998, at age 23.
What Is Keffe D Charged With and What's the Evidence?
Keffe D is facing one count of murder with a deadly weapon, with prosecutors pointing to him as the orchestrator behind the killing. What makes this unusual is that the prosecution is pulling the evidence from Keffe D himself. Compton Street Legend goes into the detail about the night of September 7, 1996, and walks through how he obtained a gun, got into a Cadillac with three others, and drove around Las Vegas looking for Tupac.
Prosecutors also plan to use statements Davis made on camera for a 2018 BET docuseries. Judge Carli Kierny denied a defense bid to throw the book out, ruling it admissible as evidence. As prosecutor Binu Palal told the jury in opening statements, "You will learn that when the opportunity presented itself for retribution, Duane Davis made sure that the shooters were armed and ready to execute their plan.
Former Clark County DA David Roger said it plainly: "This book will be the focus of the trial."
Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo put it more bluntly last month: "Had he never decided to take money and go on BET and talk about this situation, had he decided to never write the book, he would not, probably, have ever been prosecuted for the crime."
Who Is the Jury?
Sixteen jurors were picked for the trial, with 10 being women and six being men.
What's Happening in the Trial Right Now?
The trial, which is expected to last about a month, began on Monday, August 17, when both sides delivered opening statements and the first witnesses took the stand. Prosecutors framed Shakur's killing as a revenge plot, pointing to Davis's long-running anger toward Shakur as the motive. The defense pushed back, arguing the investigation has been flawed for decades and that the case simply lacks the facts to support a conviction.
What Could Happen If Keffe D Is Convicted?
The charge Keffe D faces carries the maximum consequence: life in prison without parole.
At 63, that outcome would mean Davis spends whatever years remain of his life in prison. Again, he isn't charged as the shooter, but prosecutors built their case around his alleged role as the organizer who provided the weapon and directed the attack. Nevada law holds that orchestrating a killing carries the same weight as pulling the trigger.
