Man convicted in Tupac Shakur killing maintains innocence and plans appeal
Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 1996 shooting of Tupac Shakur and faces life in prison, while his legal team has already filed an appeal.
A Nevada jury convicted Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis, 63, of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur after less than three hours of deliberation. The conviction, announced on Aug. 31, makes Davis the sole person charged in the case and subjects him to a potential life sentence, with sentencing set for Oct. 13.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Sept. 4, Davis said his attorneys had filed an appeal before the trial began and expressed confidence he would be released.
"I ain’t worried. I’m getting out on an appeal," Davis told the outlet from the Clark County Detention Center. "They violated my civil rights!"
Davis, a native of Compton, California, claimed that prosecutors and law-enforcement officials misrepresented him during the trial and that a 2019 memoir attributed to him was used as evidence, although he said he never authored the book. He also asserted that witnesses lied about his involvement and described himself as “a good man” and “innocent.”
Prosecutors presented evidence that Davis supplied the firearm used in the shooting and allegedly directed members of the South Side Compton Crips to carry out the attack. The district attorney characterized the murder as gang retaliation, though a gang-enhancement charge was not pursued due to witness-related issues.
Davis’ defense team explained that he did not testify because they believed it would jeopardize his chances on appeal. USA TODAY contacted Davis’ attorney Michael Sanft for comment but did not receive a response.