Duane “Keffe D” Davis was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years to life in prison for his role in the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur, closing another chapter in one of hip-hop’s most discussed criminal cases.
Clark County District Judge Carli Kierny handed down the sentence Oct. 13 after Davis was convicted of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
Prosecutors said Davis helped organize the shooting after Shakur and members of his entourage fought Davis’ nephew, Orlando Anderson, at the MGM Grand following a Mike Tyson boxing match.
Hours later, a white Cadillac pulled alongside the BMW carrying Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight near Flamingo Road and Koval Lane. Gunfire struck the vehicle, hitting Shakur multiple times.
Shakur died six days later on Sept. 13, 1996. He was 25.
Davis was not accused of firing the fatal shots. Prosecutors argued he helped plan the attack and provided the gun used in the shooting, making him criminally responsible under Nevada law.
Davis became the first person charged in Shakur’s killing when he was arrested in 2023. His statements in interviews, conversations with investigators, and his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” became part of the prosecution’s case.
His defense challenged those statements and argued there was no physical evidence directly tying him to the shooting. His attorney has said he will appeal the conviction.
More than three decades after his death, Shakur remains one of hip-hop’s most influential artists, with music and cultural impact that continue to reach new generations.
