Trial finally opens in the murder of Tupac Shakur
By Frederick H. Lowe A man who participated in the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur went to trial Monday, 30 years after Shakur was killed. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, faces a single count of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang in Shakur’s death. He has pleaded not guilty and has been jailed since his 2023 arrest. Prosecutors have never named the actual shooter. Prosecutors said Davis did not pull the trigger that killed Shakur, but instead he was the shot caller, telling the actual shooter when to open fire. On September 7, 1996, Shakur was in the passenger seat of a black BMW driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight when he was shot while heading to Club 662 for a concert. It was sparked by a dispute between East Coast and West Coast rappers. Shakur was shot multiple times and died six days later at age 25. Knight survived with minor injuries; the case went cold for 30 years after Davis wrote a book about the hit. Davis published his 2019 memoir “Compton Street Legend.” He discussed Tupac and Biggie Smalls’ murders, Death Row Origins, Suge Knight, Puffy Combs, and crooked cops.  Biggie Smalls, or the Notorious B.I.G., was killed in Los Angeles on March 9,1997.The book, which is sold on Amazon, describes his role as a leader of the South Side Compton Crips, leading prosecutors to reopen the case because of the evidence he provided. Davis is the only surviving member of the group that night, along with Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson (Shakur’s nephew and a Crips member), Deandrae “Freaky” Smith, and Terry “Bubble Up” Brown. Davis’ attorneys argue there is no evidence he directed the shooting and that the state relies on witnesses who are no longer alive. They claim Davis left the narcotics trade in 2009, worked a steady job, and retired in 2014 due to illness Trial details Jury selection began today in Clark County District Court, Las Vegas, with Judge Carli Kierny presiding. Shakur, also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, is considered one of hip-hop’s most influential artists. This is the second time he was shot. On November 30, 1994, rapper Shakur was shot five times during a robbery in the lobby of Quad Recording Studios at 723 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. Jasmine Guy, star of the television series “A Different World,” said Shakur stayed with her during his recovery.  |
| A loving couple: Jasmine Guy and Tupac |