Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, has been charged with orchestrating the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996. Davis has pleaded not guilty to murder with a deadly weapon. Jury selection for the trial is set to begin on Monday, with the trial expected to last about a month. Prosecutors allege that Davis orchestrated the attack and provided the firearm used in the shooting, although they do not claim he fired the shots himself.
Tupac Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, while waiting at a red light in Las Vegas. He died six days later from his injuries. The incident occurred after Shakur attended a boxing match with Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight. The case has been complicated by rivalries between music labels and gangs, including the South Side Compton Crips and Mob Piru.
Davis' defense argues that the prosecution is relying on unreliable sources who did not witness the crime. They have sought to exclude excerpts from Davis' book, "Compton Street Legend," and a police interview from the trial, claiming the book is fictionalized. The book describes a confrontation involving Shakur and Davis' nephew prior to the shooting.
Anderson, who has been suspected of being the gunman, was never charged and was killed in 1998. Knight, who was present during the shooting, is currently serving a prison sentence for voluntary manslaughter and has stated he will not testify in Davis' trial. Sean "Diddy" Combs, who has been implicated by Davis in the past, has denied any involvement in Shakur's murder and is currently serving a prison sentence for unrelated charges.