LAS VEGAS — A jury on Monday found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of rap star Tupac Shakur, delivering a long-sought measure of closure in a case that has fascinated hip-hop fans for decades. The 63-year-old was convicted on a single count of murder with a deadly weapon; he faces the possibility of life in prison. Jurors reached their decision after less than three hours of deliberation following a weekslong trial.
Family members in the courtroom reacted emotionally when the verdict was announced. Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, cried and embraced prosecutors; Davis’ son covered his face.
Prosecutors argued that Davis acquired a gun and “went hunting” for Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight after Davis’ nephew had been beaten earlier that night. They said Davis repeatedly placed himself inside the white Cadillac from which shots were fired and, although he did not pull the trigger himself, he used his status as a powerful gang leader to order the shooting and direct the younger men in the car.
Defense attorney Michael Sanft disputed that narrative, telling jurors there was no physical evidence tying Davis to the shooting. He characterized Davis’ public statements and the memoir he co-authored as dramatized bravado aimed at making money, not a factual confession. Sanft repeatedly highlighted perceived inconsistencies in Davis’ accounts and pointed to missing corroborating evidence such as phone records.
The jury, drawn from a panel of 16 including four alternates, heard nine days of testimony from 24 prosecution witnesses and three witnesses for the defense. Prosecutors said they would drop a gang enhancement charge because of witness logistics. Sentencing is scheduled for October.
Davis’ own words were a central element of the prosecution’s case. Prosecutors played interviews and cited passages from his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, and a scrapbook of articles about Shakur, arguing those materials showed Davis’ involvement and interest in the killing. Defense counsel also read from the memoir in closing and at one point read an excerpt that contained a racial epithet, drawing audible reactions from people in an overflow courtroom.
The shooting occurred in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996, when Shakur was struck by gunfire while stopped at a red light; he died six days later. Knight was wounded but survived. For years the case produced no arrests, and it remained a source of speculation until Davis publicly discussed being in the Cadillac and handing a gun to others in the backseat. Prosecutors say Davis is the only surviving person among the four men they believe were in the Cadillac.
Witnesses also described the violent rivalry between Los Angeles gang factions — the Mob Piru and the South Side Compton Crips — and how those alliances overlapped with record-label conflicts tied to Death Row and Bad Boy Records. The trial briefly revisited the unsolved 1997 killing of the Notorious B.I.G., in which Davis at one point was a suspect before being discounted.
Prosecutors declined to comment after the verdict. Members of Shakur’s family said they would wait until sentencing to speak further.