Former Crips leader Duane "Keffe D" Davis convicted in Tupac Shakur murder
A Las Vegas jury found former gang leader Duane "Keffe D" Davis guilty of murder with a deadly weapon for the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed rapper Tupac Shakur, with sentencing set for October 13.
A Nevada jury convicted former South Side Compton Crips leader Duane "Keffe D" Davis of murder with a deadly weapon for the September 7, 1996 drive-by shooting that killed rapper Tupac Shakur. Davis, 63, was sentenced to appear for sentencing on October 13.
Prosecutors argued that Davis did not fire the weapon but ordered the attack and supplied the gun used by his nephew Orlando Anderson, who allegedly opened fire after a prior confrontation with Shakur in Las Vegas. The prosecution relied on Davis’s own statements, including a 2008 police interview and remarks in his 2019 memoir, which they said voided a prior immunity agreement.
During the trial, Davis’s defense claimed his comments were exaggerated for profit and lacked direct evidence. In closing arguments, prosecutor Binu Palal urged jurors to hold Davis accountable as the “shot caller,” while defense attorney Michael Sanft described his client as a liar seeking publicity.
After less than a day of deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict. In court, Davis said he would appeal and requested personal items, including his phone, before the session ended.