Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis convicted in Tupac Shakur murder

Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis, 63, was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1996 shooting of rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas, with the jury finding him guilty of murder with a deadly weapon on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. The conviction exposes Davis to a potential life sentence.

Prosecutors argued that Davis orchestrated the attack as retaliation after Shakur and Marion ‘Suge’ Knight assaulted Davis’ nephew earlier that night. The case centered on Davis’ alleged role in planning the shooting rather than an allegation that he fired the gun.

Davis acknowledged in interviews and in his 2019 memoir that he was in the white Cadillac from which shots were fired. He did not identify the person who pulled the trigger. Prosecutors also presented his public statements and memorabilia as evidence linking him to the crime.

The trial examined a longstanding feud between the South Side Compton Crips and Mob Piru, groups aligned with rival record labels. Prosecutors relied heavily on Davis’ public accounts and gang-related testimony in a case that had minimal physical evidence nearly 30 years after the shooting.

The state will drop a gang enhancement because of logistical issues involving witnesses. The research packet does not state when Davis will be sentenced.