Key Witness in Tupac Shakur’s 1996 Murder Charged with Homicide

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In a significant development that has rekindled interest in a long-standing mystery, one of the last surviving witnesses to the fatal drive-by shooting of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in 1996 has been indicted on murder charges involving the use of a deadly weapon. This indictment marks a pivotal moment in a case that has baffled investigators and captured the public’s imagination for over two decades.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, aged 60, now faces charges related to the murder of Tupac Shakur, as announced by prosecutors during a court proceeding on Friday. Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo revealed that a grand jury had been convened for several months to deliberate on the case. DiGiacomo characterized Davis as the “on-ground, on-site commander” who allegedly “ordered the death” of Shakur.

The charges surfaced shortly after Davis’s arrest during a morning walk near his residence. Davis has long been a person of interest in the case, having admitted in interviews and detailed his involvement in his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend.” In these accounts, he acknowledged being present in the Cadillac from which the fatal gunfire erupted during the September 1996 drive-by shooting that claimed the life of Tupac Shakur, who was only 25 years old at the time.

Authorities previously searched a home in Henderson, a Las Vegas suburb associated with Davis, in mid-July. The search warrant explicitly mentioned collecting items “concerning the murder of Tupac Shakur.” Among the seized items were multiple computers, a cellphone, a hard drive, a Vibe magazine featuring Shakur, .40-caliber bullets, photo albums, and a copy of Davis’s memoir.

Clark County District Judge Jerry Wiese denied bail for Davis, emphasizing the importance of delivering justice in a case that has seen significant delays over the years. District Attorney Steve Wolfson noted, “It has often been said that justice delayed is justice denied. In this case, justice has been delayed, but justice won’t be denied.”

As of now, it remains unclear whether Davis has legal representation to comment on his behalf. He has not responded to numerous attempts at contact from media outlets since the search of his residence over two months ago.

The tragic shooting occurred while Tupac Shakur was riding in a BMW driven by Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight, part of a convoy of approximately 10 cars. While waiting at a red light, a white Cadillac pulled up beside them, leading to the fatal gunfire. Shakur sustained multiple gunshot wounds and tragically succumbed to his injuries a week later, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most influential and versatile rappers in history. His fourth solo album, “All Eyez on Me,” was still on the charts at the time of his death, with over 5 million copies sold.

In his memoir, Davis claimed to have been in the front passenger seat of the Cadillac and admitted to concealing the murder weapon in the backseat, the very location from which the fatal shots were fired. He also implicated his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, as one of the individuals in the backseat. Anderson, known as a rival of Shakur, had been involved in a casino altercation with the rapper shortly before the shooting. Davis suggested that his actions were driven by a desire for revenge against Shakur and Knight in defense of his nephew after the casino brawl.

Tragically, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson passed away two years later, maintaining his denial of any involvement in Tupac Shakur’s death.

Davis disclosed in his memoir that he first broke his silence in 2010, during a closed-door meeting with federal and local authorities. At that time, facing life imprisonment on drug charges, he agreed to cooperate with investigators regarding Tupac’s murder and the subsequent killing of Tupac’s rap rival, Biggie Smalls (the Notorious B.I.G.), six months later.

These developments occurred in the context of a fierce East Coast-West Coast rivalry that dominated the hip-hop scene during the mid-1990s. Greg Kading, a retired Los Angeles police detective who extensively investigated the Shakur case and authored a book about it, expressed little surprise at Davis’s arrest. According to Kading, it was Davis’s public revelations about his role in the murder, particularly in his 2019 memoir, that provided Las Vegas authorities with the necessary evidence and impetus to pursue prosecution. Prior to Davis’s public disclosures, the cases were deemed unprosecutable.

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More about Tupac Shakur murder indictment

• Tupac Shakur – Biography
• Duane “Keffe D” Davis Indicted on Murder Charges
• “Compton Street Legend” – Duane Davis’s Memoir
• The East Coast-West Coast Hip-Hop Rivalry
• Greg Kading’s Book on Tupac Shakur’s Murder Investigation