Tupac Shakur Murder Trial Begins Nearly 30 Years Later
Nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur’s murder, the trial of the only man ever charged in his killing is officially underway in Las Vegas.
Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, is charged with murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. Prosecutors say Davis helped plan the September 1996 drive-by shooting as retaliation after Shakur and others attacked Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, following a Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand. Davis has pleaded not guilty and faces life in prison if convicted.
Four witnesses testified Monday. Retired Las Vegas officer Garry Dale recapped riding with Shakur in the ambulance and asking who shot him. Dale said the rapper declined to identify his attackers, responding with words to the effect of, “No, we’ll take care of it.” Ingrid Stokes, who was near the intersection during the shooting, testified that she heard the gunfire and nearly collided with a white four-door vehicle while fleeing, but could not identify where the shots originated.
Former homicide detective Brent Becker described difficulties getting witnesses to cooperate, including Suge Knight, whom Becker believed lied during his police interview. Former LAPD detective Fred Miller also testified about information gathered while investigating the 1997 murder of The Notorious B.I.G.
Prosecutors are leaning heavily on Davis’ own words, including a 2008 law-enforcement interview, subsequent media interviews and his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend. They argue Davis obtained the gun and helped orchestrate the retaliation, even though they do not accuse him of pulling the trigger.
Defense attorney Michael Sanft, however, told jurors the government is presenting “fiction” as fact. He argues Davis exaggerated stories for attention and money and emphasized missing records, investigative problems and the lack of physical evidence directly tying Davis to the shooting.
Prosecutors expect to call roughly 35 to 45 witnesses, with testimony continuing this week. The trial is expected to last about a month.
