Nearly 30 Years After Tupac Shakur’s Death, Keffe D Finally Faces Trial as Prosecutors Seek Answers in One of Hip-Hop’s Most Enduring Mysteries

Nearly three decades after Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, the long-running mystery surrounding the rapper’s death has reached a courtroom, with jury selection beginning in the trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis.

Davis, 63, is the only person to have been charged in connection with Shakur’s 1996 killing. He has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder with a deadly weapon and denies responsibility for the rapper’s death. Prosecutors allege that Davis helped organise the attack and supplied the weapon used in the shooting.

The trial began Monday in Las Vegas with potential jurors being questioned about their ability to remain impartial in a case that has attracted enormous public attention. Around 75 prospective jurors were initially being assessed, with the proceedings expected to last several weeks.

Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, while travelling in a vehicle along the Las Vegas Strip. He was taken to hospital but died six days later at the age of 25. His death became one of the most enduring mysteries in hip-hop, with years of speculation surrounding who ordered and carried out the attack.

The prosecution’s case is expected to focus heavily on statements Davis made years after the killing.

Davis published a memoir in 2019, titled Compton Street Legend, in which he described his account of the events surrounding Shakur’s death. Prosecutors are expected to use portions of the book alongside earlier interviews and other evidence as they attempt to establish Davis’s involvement.

According to prosecutors, Davis was involved in a group that had been seeking retaliation following an earlier confrontation involving his nephew, Orlando Anderson, and Shakur. Authorities allege that Davis was the group’s “shot caller” and that he helped provide the firearm used in the attack.

Anderson, who was widely regarded by investigators as a person of interest in the case, was never charged with Shakur’s killing. He died in a separate shooting in California in 1998.

A central issue at trial will be whether Davis’s own accounts amount to credible evidence of his involvement. Prosecutors acknowledge that his memoir contains exaggerations and inaccuracies but argue that key elements correspond with evidence they can establish independently. Davis’s defence is expected to challenge the reliability of those accounts and highlight inconsistencies in his public statements.

The case also raises an important legal question: Davis does not have to be proven to have fired the fatal shots to be convicted if prosecutors can establish that he intentionally participated in the killing under Nevada law. This distinction could become particularly important because authorities have never conclusively established who pulled the trigger.

The investigation remained unresolved for years before a major breakthrough in 2023. Las Vegas police searched a property connected to Davis in July that year as part of the renewed investigation. Two months later, a Clark County grand jury indicted him, leading to his arrest in September 2023.

Davis has remained in custody since his arrest and entered a not-guilty plea in November 2023. His trial was subsequently delayed several times before being scheduled for August 2026.

For Shakur’s family and millions of fans around the world, the proceedings represent a significant moment after years of unanswered questions. The rapper’s influence has continued to grow since his death, with his music, poetry and social commentary maintaining a major place in popular culture.

Shakur sold more than 75 million records worldwide and remains widely regarded as one of hip-hop’s most influential artists. His death, alongside the 1997 killing of The Notorious B.I.G., became symbolic of the violent rivalry that surrounded parts of the American rap industry during the 1990s.

The trial is not necessarily expected to resolve every question surrounding Shakur’s death. Legal observers say the proceedings may establish Davis’s alleged role without definitively determining who fired the shots.