Nearly three decades after Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas, a US jury has convicted former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis of orchestrating the killing of the hip-hop icon.
The 63-year-old Davis was unanimously found guilty of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon by a 12-member jury on Monday, following nearly three hours of deliberations.
The verdict marks the first major judicial conclusion in a murder case that has remained one of the biggest mysteries in music for almost 30 years.
Davis was accused of masterminding the September 7, 1996 drive-by shooting that claimed the life of Shakur, one of rap music’s most influential artists.
Prosecutors said the attack was carried out in retaliation after Shakur and his associates beat up Davis’ nephew at a Las Vegas casino earlier that night.
Davis and three other men, including his nephew, later travelled in a white Cadillac in search of Shakur and Marion “Suge” Knight, the co-founder of Death Row Records.
According to evidence presented at trial, Davis passed a firearm to the back seat of the vehicle before Shakur’s car was located and shots were fired.
Although prosecutors have never identified the shooter, they argued that Davis could be held criminally responsible for the killing because of his role in organising the attack.
The three other men who were in the Cadillac have since died.
Davis had pleaded not guilty and maintained that his public accounts of the killing were exaggerated. His defence team argued that his statements amounted to mere bravado and lacked independent corroboration.
However, prosecutors built much of their case around Davis’ own words, including statements made during media appearances, in his memoir and in recorded conversations with investigators.
The jury ultimately rejected the defence’s argument and convicted Davis of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon. The charge carries a potential sentence of life imprisonment without parole.
After the verdict, Davis told the judge he intended to appeal.
The courtroom erupted in emotion as the decision was announced, with several people in the gallery wiping away tears and embracing members of the prosecution team.
Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, while riding in a BMW with Knight in Las Vegas. He died six days later at the age of 25.
His death became a defining moment in hip-hop history, coming at the height of the bitter East Coast-West Coast rivalry and cementing Shakur’s legacy as one of rap’s most influential figures.
