A jury on Monday (local time) found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of killing rapper in Las Vegas in 1996, marking the first conviction in a case that has captivated hip-hop fans for decades.
Here’s what we know
Davis, 63, was convicted on Monday on a charge of murder with a deadly weapon and is likely to be sentenced to life in prison. After a week-long trial in Las Vegas, the jury deliberated and reached its verdict in less than three hours, AP reported.
The verdict came after a panel of 16 jurors, four of whom were alternates, heard testimony from at least 24 prosecution witnesses and three defense witnesses over nine days.
After the verdict was announced in Shakur’s killing, his sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, cried and hugged the prosecutors, while the convict’s son covered his face with his hand.
In closing arguments on Monday, Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors that the accused acquired a gun and “went hunting” for Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight after the two had beaten up Davis’ nephew earlier that night. Palal said, “He is responsible for the murder of Tupac Shakur,” and added, “Tell him you hear him. Find him guilty.”
Prosecutors noted that while Davis’ story has changed over the years, he has repeatedly placed himself inside a white Cadillac from which the shots were fired. They also maintained that, while he was not the shooter, the evidence indicated he had ordered the attack, using his influence as a senior gang member over the younger men in the car, including his nephew.
Defense attorney Michael Sanft asked the jurors whether there was any evidence that Davis had ordered a shooting either before or after the attack.
Citing logistical challenges involving witnesses, the prosecution said that it would seek to dismiss the gang enhancement charge.
How was Tupac Shakur killed?
Davis’ trial reignited interest in a case that has fascinated followers and true crime enthusiasts for decades. Shakur, widely regarded as one of the most influential rappers in music history, was in Las Vegas on 7 September 1996, when a white Cadillac stopped alongside his vehicle at a traffic signal, and gunfire erupted. Shakur succumbed to his injuries six days later. Knight was also injured in the attack but survived.
Why was Davis charged decades after Shakur’s killing?
For years, nobody was charged in Shakur’s killing until the accused started making public statements about his involvement and said that he was in the white Cadillac and gave the gun to others in the back seat, calling the rapper’s shooting retaliation for the beating of his nephew earlier that night. was the only one alive among the four men who were in the Cadillac, according to prosecutors.
According to reports, the case, which is roughly 30 years old, has affected the type of evidence presented in court. Prosecutors warned jurors that material collected in the 1990s is different from what law enforcement collects today, including hotel surveillance video from the night of the shooting.
(with AP inputs)
