Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been found guilty of the 1996 murder of rapper and actor Tupac Shakur, reports ABC News. The verdict came after less than three hours of deliberation from the jury. Davis was charged with one count of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang.
It was not argued by prosecutors that the now 63-year-old Davis fired the weapon that killed Shakur in the September 7, 1996 drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip, but rather that he orchestrated the event and gave the gun to the shooter in their vehicle. It’s alleged Davis’ nephew Orlando Anderson, or another man in the backseat of the car, carried out the shooting. Anderson was killed in an reportedly unrelated 1998 gang shootout at a Compton, California car wash.
“For nearly 18 years, Duane Davis has told the police, television, books, YouTube interviewers – anybody that will listen, he has told – he is responsible for the murder of Tupac Shakur,” prosecutor Binu Palal told the jury. “Tell him you hear him – find him guilty.”
Davis is facing life in prison as a possible maximum sentence.
Tupac Shakur remains one of the most iconic and influential artists in rap history. He released four solo studio albums prior to his 1996 murder, beginning with his 1991 debut 2Pacalypse Now. Shakur also appeared in a number of films throughout the ’90s, with his first starring role coming in 1992’s Juice. He subsequently featured in 1993’s Poetic Justice alongside Janet Jackson, as well as the 1994 sports drama Above the Rim. Shakur made posthumous appearances in several more movies in 1996 and 1997, including Bullet, Gridlock’d, and Gang Related.
In an unexpected turn of events, he’s also set to make his video game debut in 2027’s Stranger Than Heaven. RGG studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama has addressed concerns around Tupac’s inclusion in the game 30 years after his death, maintaining both Tupac’s estate and family have approved of his likeness appearing in the game, which will reportedly be voiced by another actor without the assistance of AI.
Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff.
