Three decades after the killing of hip hop icon Tupac Shakur, Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been found guilty of plotting first degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
The verdict against the 63‑year‑old former South Side Compton Crips gang boss was delivered on Monday, August 31, 2026, at Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada, closing one of the most infamous unsolved cases in music history.
Prosecutors argued Duane “Keffe D” Davis did not fire the shots that killed Shakur but supplied the gun used by his late nephew, Orlando Anderson, in the drive‑by attack.
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The court also heard a pre‑recorded 2008 police interview related to the death of the Notorious B.I.G., in which Davis admitted he was in the car from which the shots were fired, though he denied pulling the trigger.
They maintained Davis planned the shooting as retaliation after his nephew was involved in a brawl with Shakur and his entourage in Las Vegas just hours before the shooting. The incident unfolded during a period of the intense rivalry between the East Coast and West Coast rap scenes.
Much of the evidence came directly from Duane “Keffe D” Davis. He admitted several times that he was inside the white Cadillac on the night of the murder, and in his 2019 memoir “Compton Street Legend”, he described his involvement.
His book and later media interviews canceled a previous deal that had protected him from charges, which allowed prosecutors to use his police interview in court.
In closing arguments, prosecutor Binu Palal urged jurors to take Davis at his word.
“He’s the shot caller. In every instance, in every iteration he’s the leader of the South Side Crips,” Palal said. “When you have the shot caller sitting shotgun when shots are fired, there’s no doubt he’s responsible.”
Defence attorney Michael Sanft countered that his client’s statements were fabricated stories meant to sell books.
“There’s no proof,” he told the court.
Within hours of receiving the case on Monday, Judge Carli Kierny set Duane “Keffe D” Davis’ sentencing for October 13, 2026.
Tupac Shakur was shot multiple times during a drive‑by attack in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996. Six days later, on September 13, he died from his injuries at the age of 25.
At the time of his death, Shakur was one of the leading figures in West Coast hip hop, with hits including “California Love”, “Dear Mama”, and the diss track “Hit ’Em Up.” He was nominated for six Grammy Awards during his career.
