Duane Davis Trial Hears 2008 Interview Naming Nephew As Tupac Shooter
Jurors in Las Vegas on Thursday, August 20, 2026, heard a 2008 LAPD interview in which Duane "Keffe D" Davis said his nephew Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson fired the shots that killed Tupac Shakur.[1]
In the recording Davis says he was in the white Cadillac and recounts passing his gun to the back seat before Deandre "Big Dre" Smith declined it and Anderson began firing.[2] Detectives in the tape told Davis "nothing you say today can be used against you" and called the session confidential, a point that drew reactions in the courtroom when the audio played.[1]
A 16-member jury was seated on Thursday, August 13, 2026, after voir dire that questioned potential jurors about gangs, Tupac's music and even their favorite books and movies.[3] Opening statements began on Monday, August 17, 2026, with prosecutor Binu Palal saying Davis did not pull the trigger but planned the attack as revenge for the on-camera beating of Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson.[4] Prosecutors told jurors they expect to call 35 to 45 witnesses while the defense plans only a handful, and the court refused defense efforts to block Davis's 2019 memoir and the 2008 interview from evidence.[3]
Early coverage emphasized that Davis did not pull the trigger but orchestrated the attack and relied on his conflicting accounts, with prosecutors focusing on his own words.[5] Later reporting shifted that focus after jurors heard the 2008 interview in which Davis specifically names his nephew as the shooter, elevating his recorded statements as central evidence.[1]
On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, Clark County forensic pathologist Dr. Lisa Gavin testified that Shakur was struck by three bullets, including one that passed through his chest and lung.[6] Jurors were shown autopsy photos and MGM Grand surveillance of the Sept. 7, 1996, melee prosecutors say set up the retaliatory shooting.[7]
Show source details & analysis (9 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- A 16-member jury was seated on Thursday, August 13, 2026, in Las Vegas — six men and ten women with four alternates — after voir dire that questioned potential jurors about views on gangs, whether they'd listened to Tupac Shakur's music, and favorite books and movies (16-member jury).
- Opening statements began on Monday, August 17, 2026, with prosecutor Binu Palal telling jurors Duane “Keffe D” Davis did not pull the trigger but planned the shooting as an “act of revenge” for the on-camera beating of his nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, and showing a Sept. 7, 1996 photo and video from the Mike Tyson fight night (Prosecutor Binu Palal).
- Prosecutors said they expect to call 35 to 45 witnesses over the coming weeks while the defense expects to call only a handful, signaling a weeks‑long trial focused heavily on Davis's prior statements (35 to 45 witnesses).
- On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, Clark County forensic pathologist Dr. Lisa Gavin testified that Tupac Shakur was struck by three bullets — one passing through his chest and lung causing a collapsed lung that was later surgically removed during six days of treatment — and jurors were shown autopsy photos that prompted some family members to leave the courtroom (Dr. Lisa Gavin).
- Prosecutors played MGM Grand surveillance footage from Sept. 7, 1996 showing Shakur and his entourage beating Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson and then moving quickly through the casino, evidence the state links to the alleged retaliation motive (MGM Grand surveillance footage).
- On Thursday, August 20, 2026, jurors heard a recorded 2008 LAPD interview in which Davis said his nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson fired the shots that killed Tupac, describing how he passed a gun into the Cadillac back seat, Deandre “Big Dre” Smith declined it, and Anderson then took it and began firing; detectives in the recording told Davis “nothing you say today can be used against you” (2008 LAPD interview).
- The court refused defense efforts to exclude Davis’s 2019 memoir Compton Street Legend and the 2008 interview, and the defense — including attorney Michael Sanft, who said Davis was “full of crap” — highlighted conflicting accounts Davis has given to the FBI, in jailhouse interviews and to media (including a recent local TV statement denying he was present), while prosecutors rely heavily on Davis’s own recordings and book to argue he orchestrated the attack (Compton Street Legend).
📰 Source Timeline (9)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
August 21, 2026
11:50 AM
Tupac Shakur murder suspect recounts shooting in audio played to jury
New information:
- On Thursday, August 20, 2026, jurors heard an extended portion of Duane 'Keffe D' Davis's 2008 LAPD interview in which he describes the Cadillac pulling alongside Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight, handing a gun to Deandre 'Big Dre' Smith, and Orlando 'Baby Lane' Anderson taking the weapon and firing.
- The article notes the courtroom atmosphere as the audio played: jurors occasionally took notes, Shakur's relatives were present and largely silent, and the room was quiet as Davis recounted the shooting.
- The story highlights that in the 2008 interview detectives assured Davis 'nothing you say today can be used against you' and told him 'nothing leaves this room,' a point that drew visible reactions from people in the gallery when played in court.
- The piece reiterates that Davis has given conflicting accounts over time, including an FBI interview where he denied Anderson's involvement and speculated about Suge Knight or Sean 'Diddy' Combs, and later jailhouse interviews where he claimed he was not even in Las Vegas the night of the shooting.
- LAPD detective Daryn Dupree testified that Davis was originally brought in to discuss the 1997 murder of Christopher Wallace (Notorious B.I.G.), and that 'everybody was a suspect' at that time in that case.
5:41 AM
Jurors hear 'Keffe D' say his nephew fired fatal shots at Tupac Shakur in 1996 drive-by shooting
New information:
- On Thursday, August 20, 2026, jurors in Duane 'Keffe D' Davis' Las Vegas murder trial heard a 2008 recorded LAPD interview in which Davis said his nephew Orlando 'Baby Lane' Anderson fired the shots that killed Tupac Shakur in the 1996 drive-by shooting.
- In the recording, Davis said he was in the white Cadillac alongside Anderson and recounted passing his gun to the back seat, where Anderson took the weapon after another man, Deandre 'Big Dre' Smith, declined it and then began firing at the car carrying Shakur and Marion 'Suge' Knight.
- Detectives Greg Kading and Daryn Dupree told Davis during the 2008 interview that the discussion was confidential and that 'nothing you say today can be used against you,' a point now at issue as prosecutors argue Davis later nullified any agreement by publicly recounting the story in media interviews and a 2019 memoir.
- The article notes that at other times Davis had told the FBI that Anderson was not involved and had speculated that Suge Knight or Sean 'Diddy' Combs might have been responsible, giving jurors competing accounts from Davis about who shot Shakur.
- The 2008 session was originally convened to question Davis about the 1997 killing of the Notorious B.I.G., in which he was at one point a suspect, but detectives used it to elicit his account of the Shakur shooting; jurors watched a transcript scroll as they listened to the audio in court.
- Prosecutors are leaning heavily on Davis' own statements in this and other recordings and in his book 'Compton Street Legend' to argue he orchestrated the attack, while his lawyer told jurors Davis was 'full of crap' in those accounts and that investigators never corroborated his stories.
August 18, 2026
8:55 PM
Tupac Shakur autopsy photos shown at murder trial after some family members leave
New information:
- On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, prosecutors in Duane 'Keffe D' Davis's Las Vegas trial showed Tupac Shakur autopsy photos to jurors, including images of his bloated body with multiple chest wounds, tattoos, and chest tubes.
- Shakur's cousin Zayd Akinyela told reporters outside court that he chose to remain during the autopsy photos for personal closure and said the images made him feel 'very angry' but also helped his grieving process.
- Akinyela said he previously did not know how many times Shakur was shot; Dr. Lisa Gavin testified that three bullets struck Shakur, one passing through his chest and lung, causing a collapsed lung that surgeons later removed during six days of treatment before his death.
- The court restricted public viewing of the autopsy photos by not including them in the trial's video feed, even as jurors examined them on screens in the courtroom.
- Jurors on August 18 were also shown MGM Grand surveillance video from the night of September 7, 1996, depicting the group beating of Orlando 'Baby Lane' Anderson and Shakur and his entourage moving rapidly through the casino afterward, followed by security and police speaking with Anderson in a Dan Marino Miami Dolphins jersey.
7:48 PM
Forensic pathologist details Tupac Shakur's fatal wounds in Duane 'Keffe D' Davis trial
New information:
- On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, Clark County forensic pathologist Dr. Lisa Gavin testified in Las Vegas about Tupac Shakur's autopsy and fatal injuries.
- Gavin told jurors Shakur was struck by three bullets, including one that passed through his chest and lung, causing the lung to collapse and later be surgically removed during six days of hospital treatment before his death.
- Additional bullets damaged Shakur's intestines and other internal organs, and jurors were shown autopsy photos depicting multiple chest wounds, chest tubes and a bloated body.
- Gavin appeared as an expert witness because the original medical examiner who performed Shakur’s autopsy roughly 30 years ago has died.
- Some members of Shakur's family left the courtroom before the autopsy photos were shown, while his cousin Zayd Akinyela remained and said learning the details helps his grieving and personal closure.
- Prosecutors also played MGM Grand surveillance footage from the night of September 7, 1996, showing Shakur and his entourage beating Orlando 'Baby Lane' Anderson and moving quickly through the casino afterward, which the state links to the alleged retaliation motive.
5:56 AM
A dispute about fact vs. fiction at the trial over Tupac Shakur's 1996 killing
New information:
- On Monday, August 17, 2026, prosecutor Binu Palal told jurors in opening statements that Duane "Keffe D" Davis did not pull the trigger but planned the shooting in retaliation for the beating of his nephew Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson.
- Palal said Davis discussed the Shakur shooting in a 2008 federal task force interview, in FBI interviews in 1998 and 1999, and admitted his role again in a 2009 Las Vegas police interview, as well as in his 2019 memoir "Compton Street Legend."
- The prosecution played audio in court of Davis describing handing a gun to men in the backseat of a white Cadillac that fired on the BMW carrying Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight, while members of Shakur's family, including his stepbrother Maurice "Mopreme" Shakur, listened in the gallery.
- Defense attorney Michael Sanft told jurors the state's account is "fiction" and asserted Davis was long seen by law enforcement as "full of crap," pointing to missing documents and inter-agency distrust in the original investigation.
- The article describes Davis's demeanor in court on August 17, 2026, noting he wore a blue suit and tie, sat quietly with hands folded, nodded along at times during his lawyer's opening, and scanned the gallery during testimony.
August 17, 2026
6:55 PM
Tupac Shakur was murdered in "act of revenge," prosecutor tells jury
New information:
- On Monday, August 17, 2026, prosecutor Binu Palal told jurors that Tupac Shakur was gunned down in an "act of revenge" about two and a half hours after the on-camera beating of Duane Davis's nephew, Orlando Anderson.
- Palal alleged Davis handed a gun to a back-seat passenger in a white Cadillac and ordered that person to shoot Shakur, emphasizing to jurors that Davis "did not pull the trigger" but planned the attack.
- Defense attorney Michael Sanft argued in his opening that "no one corroborates" Davis's past accounts and questioned why prosecutors waited nearly 30 years to bring charges.
- The article describes the courtroom setting on August 17, 2026, including Davis entering in a blue suit and tie, Shakur family members such as stepbrother Maurice "Mopreme" Shakur seated behind prosecutors, and fans lining up early for seats.
- Prosecutors reiterated they plan to call 35 to 45 witnesses and that the defense expects to call only a handful, signaling a weeks-long trial focused heavily on Davis's own prior statements.
5:41 PM
Opening statements begin in long-awaited trial in Tupac Shakur's 1996 killing
New information:
- On Monday, August 17, 2026, opening statements began in Duane "Keffe D" Davis's murder trial in Las Vegas over Tupac Shakur's 1996 killing.
- Prosecutor Binu Palal told jurors that although Davis did not pull the trigger, he planned the shooting in retaliation for the beating of his nephew Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, and said jurors would learn that from Davis's own words.
- Palal opened by showing jurors a photo dated September 7, 1996 of the Mike Tyson fight Tupac attended and video of Shakur's entourage attacking Anderson shortly before the shooting.
- Members of Tupac Shakur's family, including stepbrother Maurice "Mopreme" Shakur and cousins Kendrick and William Lesane, attended the first day of trial and sat behind prosecutors.
- The article notes that over the coming weeks prosecutors plan to call 35 to 45 witnesses, while the defense expects to call only a handful.
- The piece reiterates that Davis's 2008 protected interview and later book and media statements about the shooting are central to the case, and reports that Davis recently told local TV he was not present the night of the killing, contradicting his book.
August 13, 2026
9:34 PM
Jury selected for trial of former gang leader accused of ordering Tupac Shakur's fatal shooting
New information:
- Article confirms that the 16-member jury seated Thursday, August 13, 2026, in Las Vegas consists of six men and ten women, with four jurors serving as alternates.
- During voir dire, potential jurors were questioned about their views on gangs and whether they had listened to Tupac Shakur's music, as well as their favorite books and movies.
- Prosecutors reiterated that Duane 'Keffe D' Davis, now 63, is alleged to have been the 'shot caller' who orchestrated the Sept. 7, 1996 shooting, supplied the gun, and is the only surviving person from the car where the shots allegedly came from.
- Defense efforts to exclude Davis's 2019 book 'Compton Street Legend' and his 2008 law-enforcement interview from the trial were unsuccessful; the court will allow both into evidence despite arguments that the book was fictionalized and that the interview was supposed to be confidential.
- Prosecutors expect to call between 35 and 45 witnesses, including associates of both Shakur and Davis and people who saw Shakur shortly before the shooting; they do not plan to call Sean 'Diddy' Combs, whom Davis has previously claimed wanted Shakur and Suge Knight dead.
- Suge Knight, serving a 28-year sentence for a 2015 killing in Compton, is one of only two surviving people who were in the BMW with Shakur during the attack and could be called as a witness, though he has repeatedly said he wants no role in the trial.