Topline
A jury found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty in the murder of Tupac Shakur on Monday, nearly 30 years after the rap icon was gunned down in Las Vegas in an infamous drive-by shooting.
Duane Davis was convicted by a jury of first degree murder for his involvement in the killing of Tupac Shakur.
AFP or licensors
Key Facts
Davis, 63, was convicted of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang.
The sentencing date has been set for October 13, and Davis faces a life in prison sentence without parole for his murder conviction.
After the sentencing date was announced, Davis told the judge he would appeal the verdict and later raised his fist as he left the courtroom.
The prosecutors also dismissed a gang enhancement charge against him, blaming “witness logistics.”
The rapper’s sister Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur was in the courtroom when the verdict was read and was seen crying and hugging the prosecutors.
What Else Do We Know About The Murder Conviction?
Davis is the first and only person to be charged in the killing of Shakur so far. Prosecutors, however, didn’t argue that he pulled the trigger himself but rather played a role in orchestrating the killing and being the “shot caller”. Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal said Davis “went hunting” for Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight on the night of the murder after his nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson was beaten up by the duo. Davis is the only person alive who was in the car from which the shots were fired, the prosecutors noted.
What Did The Prosecution Say In Their Closing Argument?
In the prosecution’s closing arguments, Palal said Davis’ own statements and confessions in the media about his involvement were “direct evidence” of a crime and, in addition to that, the case was “drenched in circumstantial evidence” and corroborating witnesses. “For nearly 18 years, Duane Davis has told the police, television, books, YouTube interviewers — anybody that will listen, he has told — he is responsible for the murder of Tupac Shakur,” said Palal. “Tell him you hear him — find him guilty.”