In brief
Former South‑Side Crip leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis was convicted of orchestrating the 1996 drive‑by shooting that killed hip‑hop icon Tupac Shakur. The 63‑year‑old admitted he sat in the white Cadillac that was used to fire the fatal shots, though he claimed he did not fire the gun himself. Prosecutors built the case on a 2008 police interview and a 2019 memoir that detailed his role, while his defense argued the statements were self‑promotional. Family members and fans cried in the court, and the guilty verdict brought an end to almost three decades of speculation surrounding the murder. Davis plans to appeal while awaiting sentencing on 13 October.
In a landmark legal decision, former South‑Side Crip chief Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been found guilty of orchestrating the drive‑by shooting that killed rap icon Tupac Shakur on September 7, 1996.
The jury convicted Davis of a single count of murder with a deadly weapon, as the trial established that he ordered the shooting and supplied the gun used by his nephew, Orlando Anderson, to fire the fatal shots. Davis, who appeared in a black suit at the court, said he would appeal the decision.
During the trial, prosecutors highlighted a 2008 police interview in which Davis admitted being inside the white Cadillac that launched the shots. He also detailed his role in 2019’s memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” all of which was admissible as evidence after authorities ruled his initial protective agreement could not block a criminal charge.
Davis’s defense argued that his statements had been exaggerated to boost book sales, but the jury found the testimony credible. The verdict was met with tears and cheers from Shakur’s relatives and a legion of fans outside the courtroom.
Judge Carli Kierny set the sentencing for October 13, while Davis indicated his desire to appeal the verdict. The case has closed a decade‑long mystery that once fueled endless conspiracy theories in the hip‑hop community.
For updates on the case, follow the BBC podcast “Fame Under Fire: The Tupac Murder Trial.”
