Former gang boss Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been found guilty of orchestrating the 1996 murder of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur, bringing a nearly three-decade-old cold case to a historic conclusion.
A Las Vegas jury convicted the 63-year-old Davis on one count of murder with a deadly weapon over the drive-by shooting that claimed Shakur’s life on September 7, 1996.
Shakur, who was just 25, was killed at the height of his career and went on to become one of hip-hop’s most influential figures, selling more than 75 million records worldwide.
Prosecutors argued that Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, did not pull the trigger but ordered the shooting and supplied the firearm used by his nephew, Orlando Anderson.
According to prosecutors, the attack was planned as retaliation after Anderson was involved in a confrontation with Shakur and members of his entourage in Las Vegas earlier that night.
The murder remained one of the most high-profile unsolved cases in the United States for almost 30 years, fuelling numerous theories and conspiracy claims before Davis became the first person convicted in connection with the killing.
A key part of the prosecution’s case was Davis’ own public statements about his involvement. He had previously discussed the shooting in a 2008 police interview and later elaborated on his role in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend.
Prosecutors argued that Davis’ repeated accounts were admissions of responsibility, while his defence maintained that his claims were exaggerated stories designed to generate publicity and sell books.
Following the verdict, emotional members of Shakur’s family embraced and cried in court, while fans outside the courthouse celebrated the conviction.
Davis immediately indicated that he intends to appeal.
Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny has scheduled his sentencing for October 13, 2026.
