Duane 'Keffe D' Davis Tupac Murder Trial Begins In Las Vegas
Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, goes on trial Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, in Las Vegas on a murder charge alleging he arranged Tupac Shakur's 1996 killing.[1]
Prosecutors say the trial will try to prove Davis was the "shot caller" who provided the gun, not who pulled the trigger, and that shots came from the white Cadillac he rode in.[1] The state is leaning on Davis's 2019 memoir "Compton Street Legend" and a recorded 2008 police interview; his lawyers tried to exclude both as evidence.[1] Davis has been jailed since late 2023, has pleaded not guilty, and the trial is expected to last about a month.[1]
On Sept. 7, 1996, prosecutors allege, Tupac Shakur was shot in Las Vegas after he and his entourage beat Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson at the MGM Grand earlier that night.[1] Tupac's stepbrother Maurice "Mopreme" Shakur called the last 30 years "exhausting" and said he is "cautiously optimistic" the trial will be fair and reveal the truth.[1]
The trial opens nearly three decades after the shooting, drawing renewed attention to a case that shocked the music world.[2]
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📌 Key Facts
- Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, is scheduled to go to trial on Monday, August 10, 2026, in Las Vegas on one count of murder with a deadly weapon with intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang (Duane "Keffe D" Davis).
- Prosecutors say the trial will focus on proving Davis was the "shot caller" who provided the gun — not on identifying the triggerman — and that gunfire came from the white Cadillac Davis was riding in.
- The state’s case relies heavily on Davis’s 2019 memoir "Compton Street Legend" and a recorded 2008 police interview; his lawyers unsuccessfully sought to exclude both, arguing the book is fictionalized.
- Prosecutors allege Davis ordered the September 7, 1996, shooting in retaliation after Tupac Shakur and his entourage beat Davis’s nephew Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson at the MGM Grand earlier that night.
- Davis has been jailed since late 2023, has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is expected to last about a month (Duane "Keffe D" Davis).
- Tupac’s stepbrother Maurice "Mopreme" Shakur described the last 30 years as "exhausting," said he is "cautiously optimistic," and hopes the trial is fair and reveals the truth.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- The CBS article confirms that Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, is scheduled to go to trial on Monday, August 10, 2026, in Las Vegas on one count of murder with a deadly weapon with intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang.
- The piece specifies prosecutors' theory that the trial will focus on proving Davis as the "shot caller" who provided the gun, not on identifying who actually pulled the trigger, and that gunfire came from the white Cadillac Davis was riding in.
- The article details that the state’s case leans heavily on Davis’s 2019 memoir "Compton Street Legend" and a recorded 2008 police interview; his lawyers tried but failed to exclude both as evidence, arguing the book is fictionalized.
- It adds context that prosecutors allege Davis ordered the shooting as retaliation after Tupac Shakur and his entourage beat Davis’s nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, at the MGM Grand hours before the September 7, 1996 attack.
- The article notes Davis has been jailed since late 2023, has pleaded not guilty, and that the trial is expected to last about a month.
- CBS quotes Tupac’s stepbrother Maurice "Mopreme" Shakur describing the last 30 years as exhausting and saying he is "cautiously optimistic" and hopes the trial is fair and reveals the truth.