Former gang leader Duane "Keffe D" Davis to stand trial for 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur

A Nevada judge will preside over the trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, who has been charged with murder with a deadly weapon and gang-related intent in the 1996 shooting that killed rapper Tupac Shakur. Jury selection is set to start Monday in Clark County District Court, and the trial is expected to last about a month.

Prosecutors say Davis did not fire the fatal shots but orchestrated the attack by arranging the firearm and directing participants. The indictment alleges he obtained a handgun from an associate and placed it in the back seat of a white Cadillac that pulled alongside Shakur’s BMW on September 7, 1996. The case will focus on establishing Davis’s role in planning and facilitating the killing rather than identifying the shooter.

The prosecution plans to call 35 to 45 witnesses, including former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, members of Shakur’s family, and individuals who were present in the city’s hip-hop scene at the time. Notable anticipated witnesses include Leonard Jefferson, who photographed Shakur moments before the shooting, and Denvonta Lee, a former South Side Crips member who testified to a grand jury about gang rivalries and the chain of custody for the gun. Additional testimony is expected from former Death Row Records security personnel, a former Mob Piru member, and various law-enforcement experts.

Davis’s defense is expected to present a limited number of witnesses, among them an expert on false confessions and coercive interrogation techniques. The defense may also seek to challenge the credibility of key prosecution witnesses.

Public seating in the courtroom will be limited, with a daily lottery for observers and a live feed available on a second-floor room. While the trial may not determine who pulled the trigger, it could provide new insight into the circumstances surrounding Shakur’s death.