RismadarVoice Reporters, August 10, 2026
Nearly three decades after the killing of rap legend Tupac Shakur, the man accused of orchestrating the 1996 shooting is set to face trial in Las Vegas.
Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, is charged with one count of murder involving a deadly weapon, with an allegation that the killing was carried out to promote, further or assist a criminal gang.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Monday at the Clark County District Court, with the trial expected to last about four weeks.
Shakur, widely regarded as one of hip-hop’s most influential artists, was shot on September 7, 1996, while travelling through Las Vegas with Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight.
The rapper was riding in the passenger seat of a black BMW when a white Cadillac reportedly pulled alongside the vehicle and gunfire erupted.
Shakur was struck several times and died in hospital six days later. Knight survived the shooting.
The investigation remained unsolved for years before renewed attention followed public comments by Davis and the publication of his memoir, Compton Street Legends, in which he described his alleged involvement in events surrounding the shooting.
Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, was arrested in 2023 and pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors are not alleging that Davis personally pulled the trigger.
Instead, they are expected to argue that he helped organise the events that led to the killing and supplied the firearm used in the attack.
Davis’ memoir states that he obtained a handgun from an associate and placed it in the back of the Cadillac. However, the account does not identify the person who fired the fatal shots.
Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, Davis’ nephew, has long been identified as a possible gunman, but he was never charged in connection with Shakur’s death. Anderson died in an unrelated gang shooting in Compton in 1998.
Two other men who were reportedly in the Cadillac, Deandrae “Freaky” Smith and Terry “Bubble Up” Brown, have also died.
Prosecutors are expected to present between 35 and 45 witnesses, including people who saw Shakur shortly before the shooting and individuals connected to Davis and the rival gang networks involved at the time.
Former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and members of Shakur’s family are among those on the prosecution’s witness list, although being listed does not necessarily mean they will testify.
Leonard Jefferson, who was driving near Shakur’s BMW and took what became the final known photograph of the rapper, is also expected to appear.
Another anticipated witness is Denvonta Lee, who was affiliated with the South Side Crips. Lee previously gave evidence to a grand jury about tensions between rival gangs associated with Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records.
Lee reportedly told investigators that Anderson did not have a clear opportunity to fire and that Smith took the weapon and shot Shakur. He also alleged that Davis provided the gun.
Other witnesses are expected to include Malcolm Greenidge, a friend travelling with Shakur’s entourage, and Reggie Wright, a former Death Row Records security official.
The prosecution is also expected to call former police officers, detectives and gang experts, as well as individuals who were connected to Death Row Records and Mob Piru.
Davis’ defence team is expected to call only a small number of witnesses, including an expert specialising in false confessions and coercive interrogation techniques.
Marion “Suge” Knight, the only other surviving person who was inside either vehicle during the shooting, could potentially provide important testimony.
Knight is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence in California after being convicted in connection with a 2015 hit-and-run death. He has previously indicated that he would not testify in the Davis case.
Davis’ lawyer, Michael Sanft, has said Knight could be a valuable witness for the defence if he agrees to testify.
There has also been speculation about whether music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs could appear in court. Davis alleged in his memoir that Combs had offered money for an attack against Knight and Shakur, an allegation Combs has repeatedly denied.
Combs is currently serving a prison sentence following his conviction on prostitution-related charges.
His name does not appear on the current witness list, and it remains unclear whether prosecutors or the defence will seek his testimony.
The trial is expected to revisit one of the most enduring mysteries in hip-hop history and could finally establish the extent of Davis’ involvement in the killing that shocked the music world in 1996.
