The trial of a man accused of orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur started this week, with jury selection taking place nearly 30 years after the rapper was gunned down near the Las Vegas Strip. Attorneys began evaluating potential jurors on Monday for a case that revolves around one of hip hop’s defining moments and one of its most lingering mysteries.
Seven prospective jurors were asked to return on Thursday afternoon while lawyers continue the selection process on Tuesday and Wednesday. A total of 16 jurors will be chosen for the trial, which is expected to last a month.
Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang in the rapper’s death. At the time, Davis was a leader of the South Side Compton Crips in California. Relatives of Shakur, including his cousin Kendrick Lesane, attended the court in Las Vegas for the start of jury selection, which might extend through much of the week.
“Anyone involved, who planned or assisted in any way, should be behind bars,” Lesane said.
Even 30 years after his death, Shakur remains a cultural icon and is esteemed as one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time. Shakur’s death at 25 occurred as his fourth solo album had sold 5 million copies. On September 7, 1996, he was in a BMW with music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled up next to them at a stoplight. Shakur, sitting in the passenger seat, was shot multiple times and died six days later, while Knight survived.
The case stagnated until recent years, when public statements and Davis’s revealing memoirs in 2019 revived it. Davis was arrested in 2023. The trial is unlikely to answer who killed Tupac Shakur, as prosecutors do not accuse Davis of pulling the trigger that night. Instead, prosecutors intend to prove that Davis made the calls that led to Shakur’s death and provided the weapon.
Davis co-authored the memoir “Compton Street Legends,” which vividly describes the shooting. The book states that Davis obtained a gun from an associate and threw it into the back seat of the Cadillac, but it does not specify who fired the fatal shots.
Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, Davis’s nephew, has long been considered the suspect who pulled the trigger, though no charges were filed against him. He was killed two years after Shakur in an unrelated gang shooting in Compton. Two others, Deandrae “Freaky” Smith and Terry “Bubble Up” Brown, were in the car with Davis and Anderson but have since died as well.
Rap fans expressed relief on social media that the trial is finally underway. One Reddit commenter noted, “This case has been haunting hip hop for so long that it feels strange to see it truly progressing.” Another user observed, “He would barely be 55 if he were alive now; it makes you realize how young he was and how much music he could have created, how many movies.”
Expected Testimonies in Las Vegas Trial
Prosecutors plan to call 35 to 45 witnesses, including people who saw Shakur moments before the shooting and those connected to him and Davis during that time. The witness list includes former Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman and Shakur’s family members. Not all listed are expected to testify.
Prosecutors expect to call Denvonta Lee, affiliated with the South Side Crips. In his grand jury testimony, Lee said that rival gangs, the Crips and Mob Piru, were linked to opposing record labels: Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records. Although not present that night, Lee testified that Anderson did not have a clear shot, so Smith took the gun and fired. He also claimed Davis was in charge and handed the gun to Anderson, who then gave it to Smith.
Davis’s defense attorney plans to call a few witnesses, including an expert on false confessions and coercive interrogation techniques. Celebrities might attend the trial, with one potential witness being in a California prison.
Knight is serving 28 years for a hit-and-run killing of a Compton businessman in January 2015. He previously said he would not testify in Davis’s case. As the only other living eyewitness in one of the two vehicles that night, Knight’s testimony could be crucial. Davis’s defense attorney Michael Sanft told The Associated Press that Knight would be a strong witness for Davis’s defense if he testifies.
Fans have speculated about whether Combs will testify, but his name does not appear on any witness list. He is serving a four-year sentence in New Jersey for prostitution-related charges. In his book, Davis alleged Combs wanted Knight and Shakur dead and offered Davis money to kill them. Combs has long denied any involvement.
Reporters Ty ONeil in Las Vegas, Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report. This story was translated from English by an AP editor with AI assistance.