A Nevada jury on Monday found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur, bringing a long-awaited verdict in a case that haunted hip-hop for nearly three decades.
Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before convicting Davis, 63, after an 11-day trial in Las Vegas. Prosecutors said the former gang leader organized the drive-by shooting that fatally wounded Shakur near the Las Vegas Strip. Davis was not accused of firing the shots himself.
Shakur was 25 when he was shot on Sept. 7, 1996, while riding in a BMW driven by Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight. He died six days later.
The killing became one of the most famous unsolved crimes in American music, inspiring decades of speculation among fans who continued listening to Shakur’s songs long after his death. His lyrics, often focused on poverty, violence, racism, and life in Black communities, helped make him one of the most influential artists of his generation.
Prosecutors argued Davis helped set the shooting in motion as retaliation for a fight hours earlier at the MGM Grand, where Shakur and others attacked Davis’ nephew, Orlando Anderson. They relied heavily on Davis’ own accounts of the shooting in interviews, conversations with investigators, and his 2019 memoir.
Defense attorneys challenged those statements, arguing Davis had exaggerated his involvement for attention and financial gain. They also emphasized the absence of physical evidence tying him to the shooting and questioned how investigators handled the decades-old case.
But jurors ultimately sided with prosecutors.
For Shakur’s family, friends, and generations of listeners, the verdict marks a rare moment of resolution in a story defined for years by unanswered questions. Fans continued gathering to honor Shakur as the trial unfolded, a reminder that his death was never simply an old police file. His voice, image, and music remained alive for millions who never stopped asking what happened that September night.
Davis faces a potential life sentence. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 13.
