Duane Davis appeared in court during his murder trial related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur at the Clark County District Court Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas on Monday, August 17, 2026. Davis, known as ‘Keffe D,’ is accused of orchestrating the shooting in retaliation for an earlier altercation involving his nephew.
Prosecution’s Case
Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors that Davis did not shoot Shakur, but planned the attack. Palal explained that Davis organized the shooting after his nephew, Orlando ‘Baby Lane’ Anderson, was attacked by Shakur’s entourage.
Palal presented video evidence of Anderson’s beating and Shakur’s subsequent assassination as part of a revenge plot. Davis, 63, faces a possible life sentence if convicted of murder with a deadly weapon with a gang connection.
Davis’s Own Statements
During a 2008 interview with a federal task force, Davis described giving a gun to men in a white Cadillac, who then shot at Shakur and Marion ‘Suge’ Knight. Palal told the jury that Davis’s hatred for Shakur led him to confess to the FBI in the late 1990s about his presence in Las Vegas during the shooting.
In 2009, Davis also admitted his role in interviews with Las Vegas police. Palal highlighted Davis’s admissions in his 2019 memoir, ‘Compton Street Legend,’ despite the defense’s efforts to exclude them from the trial.
Defense’s Argument
Davis’s attorney, Michael Sanft, called the prosecution’s evidence ‘fiction.’ He accused the police of sloppy work and missing documents. Sanft, acknowledging Davis’s reputation for being untrustworthy, stated that the long time since the murder would hinder witness recall.
Outside court, Sanft suggested that the time elapsed would benefit Davis, as accurate recollection would be difficult. He illustrated this point with the challenge of remembering events precisely after such a lengthy period.
Past Investigation and Challenges
Los Angeles Police Department Detective Fred Miller, involved in investigating the death of rapper Notorious B.I.G., testified about Davis’s brief suspicion in that case. Although present at an event where B.I.G. was shot, Davis was ultimately not implicated in the rapper’s death.
Many witnesses from the 1996 incident are now deceased, complicating the current trial. Retired officer Garry Dale explained how another officer stopped Shakur and Knight prior to the shooting. The officers later responded to the scene of the shooting, encountering Shakur being assisted by EMTs.
Eyewitness Accounts
Ingrid Stokes recounted how her group was near Shakur and Knight’s car when they heard gunshots. Stokes described fleeing the scene in fear before returning. She expressed concern about public discussion of the case, citing fear of law enforcement and potential retaliation.