Las Vegas Jury Convicts Duane Davis in Tupac Shakur Murder Case

<p>A Las Vegas jury found Duane "Keffe D" Davis guilty of first-degree murder on Monday in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, concluding one of the most notable unsolved murders in hip hop history.</p> <p>The jury convicted Davis, 63, of murder with the use of a deadly weapon and intent to promote or assist a criminal gang after deliberating for approximately three hours following closing arguments.</p> <p>Davis was the only individual charged in Shakur's murder and now faces the possibility of spending the remainder of his life in prison.</p> <p>The murder occurred amid several rivalries, including tensions between Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records, as well as conflicts between two Los Angeles-area gangs, the South Side Compton Crips and Mob Piru, a Bloods-affiliated gang.</p> <p>Prosecutors did not claim that Davis fired the shots that killed Shakur nearly 30 years ago. They argued that Davis, the former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, orchestrated the retaliatory attack and supplied the firearm used in the murder.</p> <p>Hours before Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, he and Death Row Records founder Marion "Suge" Knight were seen on surveillance footage attacking Davis's nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, a member of the South Side Compton Crips, inside the MGM Grand following a Mike Tyson boxing match.</p> <p>Prosecutors stated that Davis, Anderson, and two other men went "hunting" for Shakur and found him and Knight while driving. Someone inside a white Cadillac opened fire, shooting Shakur four times, with one bullet grazing Knight's head. Shakur, who was 25, died six days later.</p> <p>The prolonged case relied significantly on Davis's own statements.</p> <p>Davis misunderstood the terms of a 2008 proffer agreement and frequently discussed the case publicly, placing himself in the Cadillac during interviews, documentaries, and his 2019 memoir, "Compton Street Legend." He also claimed to have handed the gun to the men in the back seat.</p> <p>Prosecutors and police characterized Davis as the "shot caller" who orchestrated the fatal shooting.</p> <p>Davis's legal team contended that their client's incriminating statements were largely fictional. Defense attorney Michael Sanft told jurors that Davis had not been charged in previous years because investigators "knew he was full of crap." He argued that Davis had fabricated his involvement to gain financial benefits and enhance his street credibility. They highlighted that prosecutors lacked a murder weapon, DNA, fingerprints, or physical evidence linking Davis to the scene.</p> <p>Davis did not testify in his defense.</p> <p>According to CNN, "there were no audible reactions" when the verdict was announced, but Seiyiwa "Set" Shakur, Tupac's sister, wept quietly.</p> <p>Davis briefly raised his fist as he left the courtroom.</p> <p>Judge Carli Kierny ordered Davis to remain in custody until his sentencing on October 13.</p>