FOLLOW US

The Tupac Shakur murder trial will resume Thursday in Las Vegas as Duane “Keffe D” Davis prepares to begin presenting his defense after prosecutors rested their case in the nearly 30-year-old killing of the rap superstar.

Prosecutors called 24 witnesses and relied heavily on Davis’ own past statements as they sought to persuade jurors that he helped orchestrate the 1996 drive-by shooting.

Prosecutors Focus on Davis’ Own Words

The prosecution’s final witness played jurors excerpts from Davis’ previous interviews and recorded jail calls. In one recording made after his 2023 arrest, Davis complained that authorities were using his statements against him.

“They’re trying to use my words against me,” Davis said in the call played in court.

Prosecutors also showed jurors a YouTube video in which Davis held up his book and encouraged viewers to purchase it to hear what he described as “the real truth.” His previous interviews and writings have become a central part of the prosecution’s case.

Davis has previously acknowledged being in a white Cadillac with his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, and two other men on the night Shakur was shot. In a 2008 police interview played for jurors, Davis said he provided a gun and that Anderson fired at the vehicle carrying Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight.

How Tupac Shakur Was Killed

Shakur was 25 when he was shot in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996. Earlier that evening, he had attended the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon heavyweight boxing match at the MGM Grand with Knight and members of his entourage.

Later that night, Shakur and Knight were traveling in a black BMW when a white Cadillac pulled alongside them near the Las Vegas Strip. Gunfire erupted from the Cadillac, striking Shakur multiple times. Knight was grazed by bullet fragments but survived. Shakur was critically wounded and taken to University Medical Center, where he underwent emergency treatment. He died six days later from his injuries.

Investigators had long struggled to solve the killing. The case remained one of the most prominent unsolved murders in music until Davis was arrested in 2023.

Prosecutors Say Davis Orchestrated the Tupac Shakur Shooting

Prosecutors do not allege that Davis personally fired the fatal shots. Instead, they contend he organized the attack after an earlier confrontation at the MGM Grand involving Shakur, his associates and Anderson.

Under Nevada law, a person can be held criminally responsible for murder if prosecutors prove that the person intentionally participated in or helped facilitate the killing, even if that person did not pull the trigger.

Robert Ladd, a former Compton police officer who worked on gang-homicide investigations, testified that Davis was a high-ranking member of the South Side Compton Crips. Ladd described Davis as a “shot caller” whose position within the gang would have given him authority over younger members.

When asked who would have been the leader among the four people in the Cadillac, Ladd identified Davis. He testified that Anderson, as a younger-ranking gang member, would not have opened fire while Davis was present unless Davis permitted it.

Ladd also testified that Shakur’s killing was followed by a 10-day conflict in Compton between the South Side Crips and Mob Piru, resulting in three killings and 10 attempted murders.

Defense Challenges Physical Evidence in Tupac Shakur Case

Davis’ attorney, Michael Sanft, has challenged the prosecution’s reliance on his client's statements. Sanft has characterized Davis’ previous accounts as exaggerated claims made for attention, publicity and book sales.

The defense also has highlighted the lack of physical evidence directly connecting Davis to the shooting. Ladd acknowledged that, apart from Davis’ own statements, investigators did not have physical evidence placing him in Las Vegas that night or phone records showing that he ordered the shooting.

The defense is expected to call a detective and two police officers when testimony resumes Thursday. Davis has not yet decided whether he will testify in his own defense.

The trial represents a major development in a case that has remained a subject of intense public interest since Shakur’s death. Jurors must ultimately determine whether prosecutors have established beyond a reasonable doubt that Davis was legally responsible for the rapper’s killing.

Additional Information

• Associated Press coverage of the Tupac Shakur murder trial
• FBI Vault records on Tupac Shakur
• FBI historical records on the 1996 Las Vegas shooting
• Reuters coverage of the defense strategy in the Davis trial