In Las Vegas, the trial of a man accused of orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur has begun with jury selection. Almost 30 years have passed since the rap star was gunned down near the Las Vegas Strip.
Attorneys started evaluating potential jurors this week for the case, which is centered on a pivotal moment in hip hop history and a longstanding mystery. Seven potential jurors were asked to return later in the week as the selection process continues. Ultimately, 16 jurors will be chosen for a trial expected to last one month.
Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, pleaded not guilty to charges of murder with a deadly weapon, aiming to further a criminal gang in connection with Shakur’s death. Davis was a leader of the South Side Compton Crips in California at the time. Family members of Shakur gathered in the courtroom at the start of jury selection, which is likely to take much of the week.
Kendrick Lesane, Shakur’s cousin, stated, “Whoever was involved, planned, or participated in any way should be imprisoned.”
At the time of his death, Shakur was 25, and his fourth solo album had sold five million copies. He was riding in a BMW with music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight on September 7, 1996, when a white Cadillac pulled up beside them at a red light. Shakur, seated in the passenger seat, was shot multiple times and died six days later. Knight survived the incident.
The case remained inactive until recent years, when public statements and a revealing memoir by Davis in 2019 reignited interest. Davis was arrested in 2023. The trial is unlikely to disclose who pulled the trigger on Shakur. Instead, prosecutors plan to demonstrate that Davis orchestrated the events leading to Shakur’s death and provided the weapon.
Davis co-authored the memoir “Compton Street Legends,” detailing the shooting. The book describes how Davis acquired a gun from an associate and placed it in the back seat of the Cadillac without revealing who fired the shots.
Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, Davis’s nephew, has long been suspected of firing the gun but was never charged, dying two years later in an unrelated gang shooting. Other individuals in the vehicle, Deandrae “Freaky” Smith and Terry “Bubble Up” Brown, have also since died. Fans of Shakur have expressed relief on social media that the trial is moving forward.
Prosecutors expect to call 35 to 45 witnesses, including those who saw Shakur shortly before the shooting and others who were associated with him or Davis at the time. The witness list includes former Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman and Shakur’s family members. However, not everyone listed is expected to testify.
Witness Denvonta Lee, affiliated with the South Side Crips, testified before the grand jury about rival gangs connected to competing record labels. He claimed Smith fired the weapon since Anderson lacked a clear shot, while Davis reportedly directed the events and provided the gun to Anderson, who then gave it to Smith.
Davis’s defense team may call a few witnesses, including an expert on false confessions and coercive interrogation techniques. Notably, one possible witness is currently imprisoned in California. Knight is serving a 28-year sentence for a 2015 fatal incident in Compton.
As the only other living eyewitness from the vehicles that night, Knight’s testimony could be crucial. However, he previously stated he would not testify against Davis. Davis’s defense attorney, Michael Sanft, indicated Knight might benefit Davis’s case if he chooses to testify.
Fans speculated about whether Combs would testify, but his name is absent from witness lists. He is serving a prison sentence in New Jersey for charges unrelated to Shakur’s case. Davis alleged in his book that Combs wanted Knight and Shakur dead, offering Davis money for the deed, a claim Combs has denied.