Nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in Las Vegas, a jury has found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon.
The verdict was delivered after nearly three hours of deliberation. Reuters, the Associated Press and ABC reported the conviction. Davis, 63, had pleaded not guilty and told the court that he plans to appeal.
Prosecutors argued that Davis orchestrated the Sept. 7, 1996 attack after Shakur and members of his entourage were involved in a casino fight with Davis’ nephew, Orlando Anderson. Shakur was shot while riding with Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight. He died six days later at age 25.
Prosecutors did not accuse Davis of firing the fatal shots. Under Nevada law, however, a person can be convicted of murder for helping plan and carry out a killing.
The prosecution relied heavily on Davis’ own public statements, including interviews, a memoir and recorded conversations with investigators. His defense argued that those statements were exaggerated and lacked sufficient corroboration.
Davis was the only person ever charged in Shakur’s killing. The other men prosecutors said were in the white Cadillac connected to the shooting have died.
The verdict is one of the most significant developments in hip-hop history. Davis now faces a potentially severe prison sentence, and the case is expected to continue through sentencing and his planned appeal.
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