Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Duane Davis Found Guilty in Tupac Shakur Murder
A jury found Duane Davis guilty of helping cause rapper Tupac Shakur’s death.
Tupac was shot in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996.
He died in a hospital six days later.
Prosecutors said Davis helped plan the attack after a fight involving his nephew, Orlando Anderson.
They said Davis provided the gun but did not fire it himself.
The person who actually fired the gun has not been definitively identified.
Davis’s lawyers said he exaggerated his stories for money and attention.
The case took nearly 30 years to reach its first conviction.
Davis plans to appeal, and he will be sentenced on October 13.
A Las Vegas jury found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty in Tupac Shakur’s 1996 murder.
Shakur was shot during a drive-by attack on September 7, 1996, and died six days later.
Prosecutors said Davis organized the attack, supplied the firearm, and acted as the group’s “shot caller.”
Davis was not accused of firing the gun; the shooter’s identity remains disputed between Orlando Anderson and another passenger.
Davis plans to appeal, while sentencing is scheduled for October 13 and could bring a maximum sentence of life in prison.
- Who
- Duane “Keffe D” Davis was convicted in the killing of rapper Tupac Shakur.
- What
- A jury found Davis guilty of murder with a deadly weapon for his alleged role in organizing the 1996 drive-by shooting.
- When
- Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, died six days later, and Davis was found guilty after a trial nearly 30 years afterward.
- Where
- The shooting occurred in Las Vegas, Nevada; Shakur died at University Medical Center.
- Why
- Prosecutors said the shooting was retaliation for a fight involving Shakur and Davis’s nephew, Orlando Anderson.
Prosecution
Defense
Davis’s role
Prosecution
Prosecutors called Davis the organizer or “shot caller,” saying he ordered the attack and handed the firearm to the shooter.
Defense
Defense attorney Michael Sanft emphasized that Davis was not accused of pulling the trigger and said the prosecution lacked physical evidence directly tying him to the shooting.
Davis’s statements
Prosecution
Prosecutors relied heavily on Davis’s repeated accounts in police interviews, media appearances, YouTube interviews, and his memoir.
Defense
The defense argued that Davis fabricated or exaggerated his stories for money and attention, and that investigators had not independently confirmed key details.
Timing of the prosecution
Prosecution
Prosecutors argued that Davis’s own repeated statements and circumstantial evidence supported holding him accountable under Nevada law.
Defense
The defense questioned why Davis was not charged until nearly 30 years later if his public statements were genuine.
- Defendant
- Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63
- Victim
- Tupac Shakur
- Shooting date
- September 7, 1996
- Verdict
- Guilty of murder with a deadly weapon
- Davis’s alleged role
- Prosecutors said he organized the attack and supplied the firearm
- Shooter
- Davis was not accused of firing the gun; the identity remains disputed
- Sentencing
- Scheduled for October 13; Davis faces a maximum of life in prison
- Appeal
- Davis’s legal team said he plans to appeal after sentencing
Sources
Tupac Shakur Murder Verdict: Ex-Gang Leader Duane 'Keffe D' Davis Found Guilty
Tupac Shakur murder mystery solved after 30 years: Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis found guilty in 1996 drive-by killing
Tupac Shakur murderer found guilty after three decades