Opening statements are scheduled to begin later today in the murder trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis, who is charged in connection with the 1996 shooting of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. Davis, 63, is not accused of pulling the trigger, but prosecutors allege that he was a passenger in a white Cadillac during a drive-by shooting targeting Shakur and former music mogul Marion "Suge" Knight.
Prosecutors claim that Davis made incriminating statements during a 2008 interview with detectives and in his 2019 book, "Compton Street Legend: Notorious Keffe D's Street-Level Accounts of Tupac and Biggie Murders, Death Row Origins, Suge Knight, Puffy Combs, and Crooked Cops." In the book, Davis describes himself as a former member of the Southside Compton Crips and a key witness to Shakur's murder.
The defense has argued that Davis embellished his claims in the book and challenged the admissibility of statements from the 2008 interview. The judge has allowed the prosecution to use these statements at trial, despite the defense's objections. Another living witness, Marion "Suge" Knight, has stated publicly that he does not intend to cooperate if called to testify.
Shakur was shot four times on September 7, 1996, while riding in a BMW alongside Knight on the Las Vegas strip. He died six days later at the age of 25. Three other men believed to have been involved in the shooting have since died, leaving Davis as one of the few remaining suspects.
The trial is taking place nearly three decades after Shakur's murder, which shocked the music world and remains a highly publicized case to this day.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
View original reporting →
