Las Vegas authorities have announced that Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis, aged 60, has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of murder with the use of a deadly weapon in connection with the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur. Davis was arrested in Las Vegas, and this development follows a search of his wife’s Henderson home in July as part of the ongoing investigation into the shooting.
During a news conference on Friday, authorities detailed Davis’s alleged role as the mastermind behind a plot to kill Tupac Shakur as an act of retaliation following an attack on his nephew. Davis has claimed to have been present at the scene of the crime, stating that he was in the front seat of a white Cadillac that pulled up alongside Shakur’s car when the fatal shots were fired from the back seat, leading to the rapper’s death after being shot four times.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill expressed, “For 27 years, the family of Tupac Shakur has been waiting for justice.” He went on to highlight the extensive efforts and decades of work put in by the homicide section of the police department to reach this point in the investigation.
According to Jason Johansson, the police department’s homicide lieutenant, the murder was a retaliatory act following a conflict between two gangs based in Compton, California. Shakur and Marion “Suge” Knight were associated with the Mob Piru gang in Compton, while Davis was linked to the Southside Compton Crips.
Shakur was in Las Vegas to witness a boxing match at the MGM Grand Hotel, attended by members of the Southside Compton Crips, including Davis and his nephew Orlando Anderson. An altercation between the two groups took place inside the hotel, which eventually led to the retaliatory shooting that claimed Tupac Shakur’s life.
Johansson revealed that Davis formulated a plan to obtain a firearm and seek revenge against Suge Knight and Tupac Shakur after learning about the attack on Orlando Anderson. Following the acquisition of a weapon from an associate, Davis, along with Terrence Brown, Deandre Smith, and Anderson, approached the black BMW carrying Shakur and Knight. Shots were fired through the window, and the group quickly fled the scene.
Johansson emphasized that Duane Davis played a pivotal role in orchestrating the crime, and all other individuals associated with the incident are deceased, including Orlando Anderson.
The investigation, which has spanned decades, gained new momentum in 2018 due to Davis’ admissions regarding the crime. His wife’s home was searched in July, where a copy of Davis’ memoir, which detailed his involvement in street gang life and the murder of Tupac Shakur, was seized.
Despite Davis confessing to the crime in 2009, the information could not be used due to a proffer agreement, which prevented statements made by him from being used as evidence.
In conclusion, the arrest of Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis in connection with the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur marks a significant development in a decades-long investigation into the rapper’s death, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding this high-profile case.
Watch the police statement below for their full response.
https://www.youtube.com/live/G9KFiCGKq2g?si=3NfKGHAQmbcCT8pB
