The trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a former gang leader, has commenced in Las Vegas concerning the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur. Prosecutors aim to demonstrate that Davis, 63, who was the leader of the South Side Compton Crips, ordered the killing and supplied the gun used in the drive-by shooting.
The proceedings began on Monday and are anticipated to last for a month. Davis faces a potential sentence of life in prison without parole if found guilty.
The investigation into Shakur's death, which occurred when he was 25, stalled for decades due to a lack of evidence. However, the case was revitalised following the 2019 publication of Davis's memoirs, in which he stated he was in the front seat of the Cadillac from which shots were fired and handed a pistol to those in the back.
Davis was arrested in September 2023 after these revelations, which were consistent with prior remarks he made to reporters. He has since pleaded not guilty, stating in a March 2025 interview that he is innocent and that claims in his memoirs were inflated by his co-author.
In the lead-up to the trial, Davis's lawyers unsuccessfully attempted to prevent his book and a 2008 police interview from being admitted as evidence. Jury selection is expected to take a week.