Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis found guilty over Tupac Shakur’s 1996 murder

Former South Side Compton Crips leader, Duane “Keffe D” Davis, has been found guilty of the murder of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur, nearly three decades after the hip-hop icon was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.

A Las Vegas jury convicted the 63-year-old of one count of murder with a deadly weapon for Shakur’s death on September 7, 1996.

Davis, who was accused of orchestrating the killing, stood silently as the verdict was delivered. He later said he would appeal the conviction.

Prosecutors argued that Davis did not pull the trigger but played a key role in planning the attack and providing the gun allegedly used by his nephew, Orlando Anderson, who was accused of firing the fatal shots.

They told the court that the shooting was carried out as retaliation after Anderson had a physical confrontation with Shakur and members of his entourage hours before the rapper was killed.

Tupac Shakur, who was 25 at the time of his death, was one of the most influential figures in hip-hop history, selling more than 75 million records worldwide.

The case remained one of America’s most famous unsolved murders for almost 30 years, generating numerous theories and speculation before Davis’ arrest and eventual conviction.

A major piece of evidence used by prosecutors was Davis’ own public comments and statements to authorities, where he allegedly spoke about his involvement and his presence inside the vehicle from which the shots were fired.

Davis had also discussed the incident in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, and in several interviews.

His defence team argued that his statements were exaggerated stories intended to build his reputation and sell books, insisting there was no evidence directly proving he ordered the killing.

However, prosecutors urged jurors to believe Davis’ own words, arguing that he had repeatedly portrayed himself as the person in control during the attack.

Shakur’s family members became emotional after the verdict, with some seen crying and embracing prosecutors inside the courtroom.

Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13 and has indicated plans to appeal the conviction.