Who killed Tupac? What to know about the trial of Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis
The mystery of who killed the rapper has intrigued fans and conspiracy theorists alike since 1996. The trial of 63-year-old Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis could soon put the question to rest.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Suspect in rapper Tupac Shakur’s killing makes first court appearance in USlist 2 of 3How South Africa’s Famo music gave birth to Lesotho’s ‘terrorist’ gangslist 3 of 3Assata Shakur, US Black liberation activist exiled in Cuba, dies at 78end of listDavis’s trial is set to begin on Monday in Las Vegas. He is charged with one count of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang.United States prosecutors aim to prove it was Davis who orchestrated Tupac’s killing by supplying the gun – but they are not claiming he pulled the trigger.Here’s what we know:Who was Tupac Shakur?Tupac Amaru Shakur, known popularly as Tupac or 2Pac, was a California-based rapper who became an icon of the genre during a short but glittering career in the 1990s. He released several Billboard-topping albums throughout his career, and more posthumously.The rapper’s music drew heavily on his experiences of violence on the streets of California, as well as themes of gang life, single motherhood, love and romance, civil rights, and racism and police violence in America.Tupac was signed to Death Row Records later in his career, and the affiliation played an influential role in his music. A defining theme of his career was a rivalry with East Coast rapper The Notorious B.I.G., a beef that led to the release of some of the two rappers’ most popular songs.Tupac was involved in gang violence. He had previously survived another shooting before being fatally wounded in a drive-by attack in Nevada on September 7, 1996. He died six days later. He was 25.What do we know about the night Tupac died?Hours before his shooting, Tupac – alongside Death Row Records founder Marion ‘Suge’ Knight – got into a fight at the MGM Grand after a Mike Tyson boxing match. The group they fought with included Davis’s nephew, Orlando ‘Baby Lane’ Anderson.Hours later, Tupac was shot six times from a white Cadillac while in a car on his way to a club he was set to perform at in Las Vegas.Defendant Davis was one of four men in the Cadillac, authorities said.The other three, including Davis’s nephew Anderson, have all died in the years since. Neither the car nor the gun used in the shooting had been recovered.This undated photo provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department shows the bloodied driver’s seat that was occupied by Marion ‘Suge’ Knight in a car rapper Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in September 1996, in Las Vegas [File: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department via AP]Who is Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis, accused of orchestrating Tupac’s killing?Davis is the only person to have ever been put on trial for killing Tupac. He entered a not guilty plea in November 2023.Davis is the former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, a California gang that has long been suspected of playing a part in Tupac’s murder. The gang had a rivalry with the Mob Piru gang, of which Tupac and Knight were affiliates.Davis has been in jail since 2023 awaiting trial for his role in Tupac’s murder. In 2025, Davis was found guilty of battery following a fight in jail, Nevada media reported.Why is a trial for Tupac’s killing happening now?This trial is happening entirely because of Davis’s own words. His 2019 memoir – titled Compton Street Legend – opens in Las Vegas on the night of Tupac’s killing, and Davis explains in detail how he hunted the rapper and Knight through the city over the fight involving his nephew.He wrote that he got a gun, entered a Cadillac with three others and drove around looking for Tupac and Knight. They spotted Tupac in a car and then pulled up next to it, he wro
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