Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis was sentenced Tuesday (Oct. 13) to 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur. The rap icon was gunned down off the Las Vegas Strip over 30 years ago. 63-year-old Davis was convicted in August of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon. He is the only person ever charged in the death of Shakur, whose popularity was peaking at age 25.
RELATED: Tyreek Hill’s Estranged Wife Keeta Vaccaro Testifies About Alleged Domestic Abuse During Divorce Trial (VIDEO)
Details About Sentencing In Trial Over Tupac Shakur’s Death
On the night of Sept. 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was in the passenger seat of a black BMW with music mogul Marion ‘Suge’ Knight when a white Cadillac pulled up at a red light, and shots erupted. Bullets hit Shakur multiple times and he died six days later, while Suge Knight survived.
On Tuesday, Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo said that whatever sentence the court imposes, Davis is “guaranteed to die” behind bars.
Stay Connected
Subscribe to updates from The Shade Room
“It’s not just about losing a family member,” DiGiacomo said as Shakur’s sister Sekyiwa ‘Set’ Shakur nods her head in the audience.
The killing went unsolved for years until Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, gave interviews and published his role in the shooting in his 2019 tell-all memoir. DiGiacomo said Davis was trying to profit off a killing that he committed, and for that he does not deserve the minimum sentence. “In my mind he deserves the maximum possible sentence,” DiGiacomo said.
How Keffe D Sparked His Own Arrest & Why No One Else Will Be Charged
In his memoir, Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis explained how Tupac Shakur and his entourage beat up Davis’ nephew hours before the shooting in Las Vegas. He said he sought retaliation. Also, he said that he was in the passenger seat of the Cadillac and passed the gun to the backseat, where shots were fired. Davis had spoken to detectives years before but avoided prosecution because of an agreement he made with law enforcement.
During the weekslong trial, prosecutors relied on Davis’ own statements he made to law enforcement and documentarians. They argued Davis orchestrated the shooting and provided the gun used in Shakur’s death. Meanwhile, Davis’ defense attorney pointed to a lack of physical evidence that connected his client to the 30-year-old crime. Also, he portrayed Davis as a liar who was trying to make money. After nine days of hearing testimony in August, the jury deliberated for three hours before turning over the guilty verdict.
As mentioned, Davis is the only person to be charged and convicted in the killing of Shakur. The three other people who allegedly were in the Cadillac have died. This includes Davis’ nephew Orlando ‘Baby Lane’ Anderson, who Davis said was the one who pulled the trigger.
Meanwhile, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and his alleged role were brought up often throughout the trial. Witnesses testified Combs used members of the South Side Compton Crips for security for Bad Boy Records. In his book and public statements, Davis alleged Combs offered him money to kill Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight. Combs, who is serving a four-year prison sentence, has repeatedly denied any involvement in the death of Tupac Shakur.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson has said his office doesn’t believe it has sufficient evidence to charge anyone else.
“But like any other case, if we come into more information, more evidence, we can always consider filing additional charges,” the DA said following the guilty verdict. “But today, we don’t believe that’s the appropriate move to make.”
Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis & Tupac’s Family Speak In Court
Davis spoke briefly in court, telling Judge Carli Kierny he wants items back that police took from his house, including his pictures. Asked if there was anything else he wanted to say, Davis said: “No I’m good.” Meanwhile, Davis’ lawyer, Michael Sanft said he plans to appeal the verdict. Sanft said prosecutors waited too long to bring the case.
Additionally, Tupac Shakur’s family spoke at the sentencing, including his siblings Maurice ‘Mopreme’ Shakur and Sekyiwa ‘Set’ Shakur. Following the verdict, prosecutor Binu Palal said that to many people, Shakur was an icon or an idea, “but to the family, Tupac Shakur was a brother, a son, a cousin, a loved person ripped from them 30 years ago.” Palal said the family had to sit through years of Davis “bragging about killing someone they loved.”
“They loved that man. And the arrogance that Mr. Davis had in expressing his joy in killing that man ultimately was his undoing,” Palal said.
RELATED: Former ‘American Idol’ Singer Caleb Flynn Sentenced To Life In Prison For Wife’s Murder
Associated Press writer Jessica Hill contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
