Tupac Shakur murder case ends in first conviction nearly 30 years later PHOTO

Former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been found guilty of orchestrating the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, ending a nearly three-decade cold case that has generated countless theories but no previous conviction.

A Las Vegas jury convicted Davis, 63, of one count of murder with a deadly weapon in connection with the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur on September 7, 1996. Davis stood impassively in court in a black suit as the verdict was read and said he would appeal. Shakur’s relatives held hands, with some embracing and crying, as per the BBC.

Shakur was 25 and at the height of his career when he was killed. One of rap’s most influential artists, he has sold more than 75 million records worldwide.

Prosecutors argued that Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, did not fire the fatal shots but orchestrated the attack and supplied the gun used by his nephew, Orlando Anderson. They said Davis planned the shooting as retaliation after Anderson was involved in a confrontation with Shakur and members of the rapper’s entourage in Las Vegas several hours earlier.

The murder occurred amid fierce East Coast-West Coast rivalry in hip-hop and gang tensions involving the Bloods and Crips, which were deeply intertwined with the rap scene at the time.

A central element of the prosecution’s case was Davis’ own public statements. He repeatedly acknowledged being inside the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired. During a secret 2008 police interview concerning the death of fellow rapper Notorious B.I.G., whose real name was Christopher Wallace, Davis discussed his involvement in Shakur’s killing. He later provided further details in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend.

Davis’ memoir and subsequent media appearances voided a protective agreement with authorities that had previously prevented criminal charges. A court ruled that his 2008 police interview could be used against him at trial.

In closing arguments, prosecutor Binu Palal urged jurors to believe Davis’ repeated accounts.

“For years,” Palal said, Davis had been telling people “that he is responsible for Tupac Shakur's murder” through documentaries, his memoir, podcasts and a police interview.

“He's the shot caller - in every instance in every iteration he's the leader of the South Side Crips,” Palal said. “When you have the shot caller sitting shotgun when shots are fired, there's no doubt he's responsible.”

The defence argued Davis’ statements were fabricated or exaggerated to sell books and generate income. His lawyer, Michael Sanft, told jurors: “There's no proof.”

The jury returned its guilty verdict within hours of receiving the case on Monday.

Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny set sentencing for October 13. Before leaving court, Davis asked for personal belongings, including his phone, and said: “I would like to appeal this matter.” The judge told him an appeal could be pursued after sentencing.

Outside the courthouse, Shakur’s supporters cried and cheered, while his family remained visibly emotional inside the courtroom.

By Tamilla Hasanova