Who is Duane Davis? Man Convicted of Killing Rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996: Everything You Need to Know | Today’s news
A jury on Monday (local time) found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of killing rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in 1996, the first conviction in a case that has captivated hip-hop fans for decades.
Here’s what we know
Davis, 63, was convicted Monday of murder with a deadly weapon and will likely be sentenced to life in prison. After a weeklong trial in Las Vegas, the jury deliberated and reached a verdict in less than three hours, the AP reported.
The verdict came after a panel of 16 jurors, four of whom were alternates, heard testimony from at least 24 prosecution witnesses and three defense witnesses over nine days.
After the verdict in Shakur’s killing was announced, his sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, cried and hugged the prosecutor, while the convicted son covered his face with his hand.
In closing arguments Monday, Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors the defendant obtained a gun and “went hunting” for Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight after the two beat Davis’ nephew that night. Palal said, “He’s responsible for Tupac Shakur’s murder,” adding, “Tell him you hear him. Find him guilty.”
Prosecutors noted that while Davis’ story has changed over the years, he repeatedly placed himself in the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired. They also argued that although he was not the shooter, evidence suggested he ordered the attack and used his influence as a senior gang member on the younger men in the car, including his nephew.
Defense attorney Michael Sanft asked jurors if there was any evidence that Davis ordered the shooting before or after the attack.
Citing logistical problems involving witnesses, the prosecution said it would seek to have the gang-enhancement charge dismissed.
How was Tupac Shakur killed?
Davis’ trial has reignited interest in a case that has fascinated hip-hop devotees and true crime buffs for decades. Shakur, widely considered one of the most influential rappers in music history, was in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996, when a white Cadillac pulled up next to his vehicle at a traffic signal and gunfire rang out. Shakur succumbed to his injuries six days later. Knight was also wounded in the attack but survived.
Why was Davis charged decades after Shakur’s murder?
For years, no one was charged in Shakur’s murder until the accused began to publicly claim his involvement, saying he was in a white Cadillac and gave the gun to others in the back seat, labeling the rapper’s shooting in retaliation for the beating of his nephew that night. Davis was the only one alive of the four men who were in the Cadillac, according to prosecutors.
The roughly 30-year-old case reportedly affected the type of evidence presented in court. Prosecutors warned jurors that material collected in the 1990s was different from what law enforcement collects today, including hotel surveillance video from the night of the shooting.
