After 30 Years, Someone Is Finally Convicted in Tupac Shakur’s Murder

A Las Vegas jury found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty Monday of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, the first conviction in a case that went unsolved for nearly 30 years.

Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before returning the verdict Aug. 31 in Clark County District Court. Davis, 63, was convicted of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon. Sentencing is set for Oct. 13, with life in prison possible.

The court clerk read the verdict Monday:

JUST IN - Duane "Keffe D" Davis guilty of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur. pic.twitter.com/j75tsSTjZk

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) September 1, 2026

“We, the jury, in the above-entitled case, find the defendant Duane Keith Davis, as follows: Count one, murder with use of a deadly weapon, guilty of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon.”

Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, cried as the verdict was announced, while other members of the family embraced in the courtroom. Davis remained mostly expressionless, then told the judge he planned to appeal.

Davis was never accused of being the gunman. Prosecutors said he got the weapon and joined the group that set out looking for Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight. Davis was also in the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired. Nevada law allows someone who helps commit a murder to be convicted even if another person pulls the trigger.

Hours before the shooting, Shakur, Knight and others attacked Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, inside the MGM Grand after a Mike Tyson fight. Anderson belonged to the South Side Compton Crips. Prosecutors said that beating sent Davis and the others out looking for Shakur and Knight.

Davis later told police they were cruising Las Vegas in a white Cadillac when they saw Shakur sitting in the passenger seat of a black BMW. Knight was driving. The Cadillac turned around, caught up with the BMW, and pulled beside it. Then came the gunfire.

Knight was wounded. Shakur took four bullets and was rushed to a hospital. He died six days later. He was 25.

Police never recovered the murder weapon. Nobody was charged until Davis in 2023. But by then, investigators had years of interviews in which Davis had talked about the night Shakur was shot.

Davis discussed the shooting with police, documentary filmmakers, podcasters, and other interviewers. He also wrote about it in his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend.” Prosecutors said that although details in Davis’ accounts changed, he repeatedly placed himself in the Cadillac with the men involved in the shooting.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal zeroed in on that during closing arguments: "The core facts remain. The material facts remain. He was in that car. He had that gun. He gave that gun to the shooter.”

The jury heard more than eight hours of Davis talking about the case. One recording came from a 2009 police interview, when Davis said, “I didn’t tell nobody, nothing, that we killed Tupac.” He then said he had intended to keep the killing secret.

Defense attorney Michael Sanft had plenty to attack. There was no murder weapon, no DNA, and no fingerprints tying Davis to the scene. Sanft also argued prosecutors could not independently prove his client was even in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996. His explanation for all the interviews and the memoir was that Davis had lied or embellished the story to make money.

Over nine days, jurors heard from 24 prosecution witnesses and three defense witnesses. They also heard about the fight at the MGM Grand, the rivalry involving the South Side Compton Crips and Death Row Records, and Davis’ own account of what happened afterward.

The jury returned its unanimous verdict two weeks before the 30th anniversary of Shakur's death. Davis is the first person convicted in the rapper's killing, but the case may not be closed. He immediately asked the judge for an appeal, and sentencing is set for Oct. 13; he faces up to life in prison.

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