Duane “Keffe D” Davis is Found Guilty in Tupac Shakur’s Murder, Three Decades after His Death

In court today

• Duane “Keffe D” Davis was found guilty of first-degree murder Monday in the death of Tupac Shakur, which has remained unsolved for nearly three decades. Davis is accused of plotting the 1996 killing near the Las Vegas Strip, and he is the only person ever charged in the murder.

• In closing arguments, the prosecution said Davis was a “shot caller” in the South Side Compton Crips, alleging he “went hunting” for Shakur. Davis’ memoir, which details the shooting, should be considered an admission by Davis, despite it listing a cowriter, the prosecutor said.

• The defense said that Davis’ recounting of the shooting in his memoir was “fiction,” also focusing on missing investigative records and a lack of direct evidence.

A jury deliberated for about 3 hours before convicting Duane Davis. Catch up on the day

Duane Davis enters the courtroom before closing arguments in his murder trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, in Clark County District Court at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Monday. Steve Marcus/Pool/Reuters

Monday was a jam-packed day of drama in the murder case against Duane Davis as prosecutors and Davis’ attorney gave fervent presentations of their cases during closing statements, concluding two weeks of testimony.

And following just under three hours of deliberations, the jurors reached their conclusion – Davis was convicted of first-degree murder for his role in the death of Tupac Shakur.

Shakur’s family was emotional as the news came down. Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, the rapper’s sister, was seen crying quietly as family members held hands.

As the day closes, here is what you need to know:

• Prosecutors argued Davis and his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, “went hunting” for Shakur after Anderson was in a fight with Shakur and his entourage at the MGM Grand following a Mike Tyson boxing match, Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal said. Davis led the charge through his role as a “shot caller” for the Southside Compton Crips and ultimately was driven by self-interest in his statements, Palal said.
• Prosecutors showed a chart during closing arguments comparing Davis’ four statements on what happened throughout the years.
• Defense attorney Michael Sanft said Davis was inconsistent in his statements, and that the evidence showed Davis was “telling you fiction.” In addition, the evidence tying Davis to the crime was incomplete, he said, noting the prosecution didn’t present documentation to show Davis was in Las Vegas at the time.
• Jury deliberations went for about three hours. The jury received instructions on how to handle the case in the morning before closing statements started.
• Davis’ sentencing is scheduled for October 13, where he faces life in prison without parole for his first-degree murder conviction. The prosecution considered trying to add a gang enhancement, but opted not to pursue it due to “witness logistics,” Palal said in court.
• Shakur’s loved ones were seen embracing after court finished, with the rapper’s stepbrother Mopreme Shakur raising his fist in the air.

CNN anchor looks back on the moment Tupac died

Thirty years ago, now-CNN anchor Laura Coates was in a bookstore when she heard the news: Tupac Shakur succumbed to his injuries from a shooting seven days prior.

She was just applying for colleges, considering where to tour, when she heard the news, which “rang through the entire bookstore, from adults to teens to everyone in between,” she recounted after the trial ended today.

“And it was such a profound sadness that swept over everyone there, realizing the potential, the trajectory, and the loss of such a powerful and strong, and many would say deeply honest voice among hip-hop,” she said.

But it took almost 30 years “to try to get some semblance of justice,” Coates said. “And we know that the jury heard all the evidence as presented, not from the person who pulled the trigger, but from the person that prosecutors said, and the jury is now convinced, was the so-called shot caller.”

Tupac and Snoop Dogg speak with CNN three days before fatal Las Vegas shooting

Three days before Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in Las Vegas, he and Snoop Dogg spoke with CNN at the 1996 MTV Video Awards about music, accessories and the changing industry.

Tupac often talked about dying young. That’s part of why his murder still haunts us

The renewed attention on Tupac Shakur’s murder is also a reminder that he thought about his own mortality often — and said so, out loud, again and again.

Death Row Records producer remembers Shakur as a friend, not just a music legend

For much of the world, Tupac Shakur is an icon – the most famous rapper in the world at the time of his death, just 25 years old.

Tupac Shakur’s loved ones embrace, raise fist following Davis’ guilty verdict

Tupac Shakur’s loved ones embraced, with one raising his fist, as people exited the courtroom following Duane “Keffe D” Davis’ guilty conviction in Tupac Shakur’s murder on Monday.

Duane Davis is convicted two weeks before anniversary of Tupac’s death

In two weeks, on September 13, Tupac Shakur’s family will observe the anniversary of his death, knowing for the first time in three decades someone has been held accountable for his murder.

Duane Davis could face life in prison for first-degree murder conviction

Duane Davis could face life in prison without the possibility of parole after he was convicted of first-degree murder Monday.

Judge Carli Kierny will sentence him on October 13.

Source: CNN