A Nevada court has scheduled a June 3, 2024 trial for Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the accused in the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur. The former gang leader from Southern California appeared in court with appointed defense attorneys, following a not guilty plea entered last week.
Davis, the only person charged in the fatal shooting of the hip-hop legend, is being held in Las Vegas. His defense, provided by public defenders Charles Cano and Robert Arroyo, announced plans to request bail. The defense and the prosecution, represented by Marc DiGiacomo, are preparing for a trial steeped in a trove of evidence yet to be disclosed.
The 60-year-old defendant, a known figure from Compton’s street scene, claimed responsibility for Shakur’s murder in a 2019 book, stating he was the mastermind behind the Las Vegas drive-by that also injured Suge Knight. Despite his self-incrimination in media interviews and his memoir, Davis cited a past immunity deal when sharing information with Los Angeles authorities about the shootings of Shakur and Christopher Wallace, also known as Biggie Smalls.
Knight, entangled in the historic East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry, is currently imprisoned for a separate crime. Davis, now facing cancer, stands alone to answer for a crime that followed an altercation between Shakur and Davis’ nephew at a Vegas casino.
The murder of Shakur, a pivotal figure with a significant musical legacy, led to years of speculation and impacted hip-hop culture profoundly. As the legal proceedings commence, the memory of Shakur remains honored with a recent Hollywood Walk of Fame star and a street named for him in Oakland, reflecting his enduring influence.
