Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for his role in the 1996 killing of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur, following his conviction in a Las Vegas court.
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Read E-PaperThe sentence was handed down on Tuesday, following Davis’ conviction in August for orchestrating the fatal shooting that claimed the life of the 25-year-old hip-hop star.
Shakur was shot in a drive-by attack on September 7, 1996, while travelling in a car driven by Death Row Records founder Suge Knight. He succumbed to his injuries six days later.
Davis, 63, was arrested and indicted in September 2023 after years of investigations into the killing. A Nevada grand jury charged him with murder involving the use of a deadly weapon.
Although he had previously discussed his involvement in interviews and in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, Davis maintained his innocence during the legal proceedings. He argued that he had fabricated parts of his account in an attempt to sell his book.
In earlier accounts, however, Davis acknowledged being inside the Cadillac from which the shots were fired at the vehicle carrying Shakur and Knight.
Prosecutors argued that Davis played a central role in planning the attack, which has long been linked to tensions between rival factions associated with the West Coast and East Coast hip-hop scenes.
Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo portrayed Davis as the person who ordered the killing during the prosecution’s closing arguments.
According to ABC News, DiGiacomo cited Davis’ previous remarks about overcoming challenges, arguing that the accused was now attempting to avoid responsibility for the crime.
Shakur’s family has also pursued legal action over the killing. Earlier this year, Davis was named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the rapper’s surviving relatives, who argued that other people involved in the murder had yet to be held accountable.
On the night of the shooting, Shakur was in Las Vegas to celebrate the birthday of his business partner, Tracy Danielle Robinson. He had also attended a boxing match featuring Mike Tyson at the MGM Grand alongside Knight.
At around 11:15pm, a white Cadillac reportedly pulled alongside Knight’s BMW on the Las Vegas Strip before its occupants opened fire.
Shakur was struck four times, suffering gunshot wounds to his arm, thigh and chest. One of the bullets penetrated his right lung.
He was rushed to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, where he died six days later from internal bleeding.
The jury reportedly reached its guilty verdict after approximately three hours of deliberations.
Davis has indicated that he intends to appeal the conviction.
