Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur. A Las Vegas jury reached the verdict on Monday, August 31, 2026, after deliberating for less than three hours following a two-week trial.
Davis, a 63-year-old former gang boss, is the only person ever criminally charged in connection to the infamous drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip. While prosecutors did not allege that Davis personally pulled the trigger, they successfully argued that he acted as the "shot caller" who orchestrated the retaliation. The fatal shooting was ordered after Tupac and his associates attacked Davis's nephew, Orlando Anderson, in a casino lobby earlier that same night.
Key Details of the Verdict
- The Charges: Davis was convicted of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon with intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang.
- The Evidence: Much of the prosecution's case rested on Davis’s own public admissions, including police interviews and detailed accounts written in his 2019 memoir. The defense tried to argue that his book was purely "fiction" and that Davis was just a storyteller looking for attention, but the jury rejected this claim.
- The Penalty: Davis now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
- The Aftermath: Following the reading of the verdict, Davis's legal team stated that he intends to appeal the decision. Tupac’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, was present in the courtroom and was seen crying quietly as justice was finally delivered nearly 30 years after the rapper's death.
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