Tupac Murder Trial Update: Defendant Calls Out Prosecutor's Remark in Court
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis, the man accused of killing rapper Tupac Shakur, challenged comments from the prosecution during a court hearing on Tuesday.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo said the jurors in Davis' battery trial did not know who he was, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
"Yes, they did," Davis said.
Newsweek reached out to the Clark County District Attorney's Office and Carl Arnold, Davis' attorney, for comment.
Davis was convicted on counts of battery by a prisoner and challenging someone to a fight in April after an altercation with another inmate.
Davis is scheduled to go to trial for a murder charge related to Shakur's killing in February 2026. Arnold and Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal indicated during today's hearing that they would be ready to start the trial at that time.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis appears for a hearing related to his indictment in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, February 18, 2025 at District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis appears for a hearing related to his indictment in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, February 18, 2025 at District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Photo by John Locher-Pool/Getty Images
Why It Matters
The murder of Shakur has remained one of American pop culture's most enduring and scrutinized mysteries. Shakur, widely known as 2Pac, died at age 25 after being shot in a drive-by attack near the Las Vegas Strip on September 7, 1996. He succumbed to his injuries six days later. The case remained open and unresolved for nearly three decades despite intense public speculation, documentary coverage, and various conspiracy theories about what really happened that night.
What To Know
In September 2023, Las Vegas police arrested Davis, an alleged former gang leader from Compton, California. In his 2019 memoir, Davis claimed he was inside the car where the shots were fired from and described acquiring a .40-caliber handgun and handing it to his nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson. Authorities and Davis himself claimed the shots that killed Shakur came from this vehicle.
Davis and his attorney have argued that he should not have been charged due to immunity agreements he claimed were made with federal and local authorities years ago. His attorneys characterized the indictment and 27-year delay in prosecution as a violation of constitutional rights. However, Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny stated that "the state of Nevada has never offered" Davis such a deal. Davis' attempt earlier this year to dismiss the case was unsuccessful.
Prosecutors have described the evidence against Davis as compelling, including the detailed accounts in his book.
The 1996 shooting allegedly followed a casino altercation between Shakur and Anderson. Anderson, who had denied any involvement, was fatally shot in 1998. Other alleged accomplices are also deceased.
Davis has remained in custody since his arrest. An attempt by Arnold to get Davis released on house arrest was denied by Kierny last year. Kierny cited concerns about Davis and the person offering to pay his bail profiting off the sale of Davis' life story.
What People Are Saying
Arnold, in a statement to Newsweek last year after Davis was denied release: "We firmly believe there is a lack of substantive proof that Mr. Davis intended to profit from his alleged connections to the case."
Kierny, addressing Arnold at a hearing in July 2024: "It seems like your plan, your end goal here, is to make some kind of show for the press of this trial."
What Happens Next
Another hearing in the murder case is scheduled for September 9.
Davis is also challenging his convictions related to the altercation in jail. His attorney has requested a new trial, and a hearing has been set for July 2.
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