(../../../../favicon_aje.ico) Ex-gang leader Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis found guilty of murdering Tupac Shakur | Crime News | Al Jazeera    (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/1/ex-gang-leader-keffe-d-found-guilty-of-killing-rap-legend-tupac-shakur)                                                  (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/9/1/ex-gang-leader-keffe-d-found-guilty-of-killing-rap-legend-tupac-shakur)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2017-04-08T120000Z_1125167671_HP1ED48056WGP_RTRMADP_3_MUSIC-HALLOFFAME-1690451625.jpg?resize=1920%2C1440)     (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (../../../../static/css/vendor~main~d08ff9cb.24bf1742.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~748942c6.6c6e15fe.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~b07b7304.25927f0e.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~6e6dca10.74fd263a.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~5db14389.c7afea12.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/media/Roboto-Bold.52bb58c8.woff2) (../../../../static/media/Roboto-Regular.c5bf51b6.woff2)  (../../../../static/css/vendor~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-blo~5f903362.2e08e417.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~9c0c5d0c.c65718e9.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-blog-container~containers~72501995.3d2cbba2.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~pages/amp-article~pages/article-page~493df0b3.1e546aab.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.5839b1ed.r2.chunk.css)   Skip links (ex-gang-leader-keffe-d-found-guilty-of-killing-rap-legend-tupac-shakur@traffic_source=rss.html#main-content-area) Skip to Content  (https://www.aljazeera.com/)          (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Sign up  Show navigation menu     Navigation menu (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News    Show more news sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/africa/) Africa   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia/) Asia   (https://www.aljazeera.com/us-canada/) US & Canada   (https://www.aljazeera.com/latin-america/) Latin America   (https://www.aljazeera.com/europe/) Europe   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia-pacific/) Asia Pacific      (https://www.aljazeera.com/middle-east/) Middle East   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/explainer/) Explained   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sports) Sport   (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinion/) Opinion   (https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/) Video   More   Show more sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/) Features   (https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/) Economy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/human-rights/) Human Rights   (https://www.aljazeera.com/climate-crisis) Climate Crisis   (https://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/) Investigations   (https://www.aljazeera.com/interactives/) Interactives   (https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/) In Pictures   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/science-and-technology/) Science & Technology   (https://www.aljazeera.com/audio/podcasts) Podcasts   (https://www.aljazeera.com/travel) Travel   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored/) Sponsored Content        (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Click here to search search     Sign up        (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News |(https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/crime/) Crime   Ex-gang leader Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis found guilty of murdering Tupac Shakur Jury finds Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis, 63, guilty of murdering the chart-topping artist in the 1996 shooting.   Listen   Listen (4 mins)       Save       Share Ex-LA gang leader found guilty of murdering Tupac Shakur on social media share-nodes    Share (https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F3xt2qv) facebook      (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Ex-LA%20gang%20leader%20found%20guilty%20of%20murdering%20Tupac%20Shakur&source=sharethiscom&related=sharethis&via=AJEnglish&url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F3xt2qv) x    (whatsapp://send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F3xt2qv) whatsapp-stroke    (https://aje.news/3xt2qv)  copylink          google       Add Al Jazeera on Google  info      (32nd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - Show – New York City, U.S., Alicia Keys performs in honor of the late Tupac Shakur.)   Toggle Play    Former gang leader found guilty of Tupac Shakur’s 1996 murder   By  AFPand Reuters   Published On 1 Sep 2026 1 Sep 2026    A former gang leader accused of orchestrating the killing of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur in the United States in 1996 ⁠has been convicted of murder for his role in the long-unsolved crime. A jury in Clark County, Nevada, deliberated for nearly three hours on Monday before finding Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, guilty of a single count of first-degree ⁠murder with a deadly weapon, capping an 11-day trial in a courtroom in the city of Las Vegas. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/5/suspect-in-rapper-tupac-shakurs-killing-makes-first-court-appearance-in-us) Suspect in rapper Tupac Shakur’s killing makes first court appearance in US  list 2 of 4 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/16/who-killed-tupac-what-to-know-about-the-trial-of-duane-keffe-d-davis) Who killed Tupac? What to know about the trial of Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis  list 3 of 4 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/17/truth-or-fiction-us-trial-of-tupac-shakurs-accused-killer-begins) ‘Truth or fiction’: US trial of Tupac Shakur’s accused killer begins  list 4 of 4 (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/8/18/tupac-shakur-murder-trial-begins-thirty-years-after-his-death) Tupac Shakur murder trial begins thirty years after his death   end of list  Davis will face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole at his sentencing on October 13. He told the judge “he plans to appeal this matter”. Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips street gang in Los Angeles, was accused of ordering the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur on September 7, 1996. Prosecutors said he was enraged because members of Shakur’s entourage had beaten his nephew at a Las Vegas casino hours earlier. “Duane Davis, in the culture of gangs, could not let that stand,” prosecutor Binu Palal said during closing arguments. “So what did he do? He acquired a firearm, got his group together and went hunting for Mr Shakur.” Shakur, who was in Las Vegas for a Mike Tyson heavyweight fight, was shot about two hours after the casino confrontation by a gunman in a white Cadillac that pulled up at a red light alongside the BMW in which the rapper was riding in the front passenger seat.      According to prosecutors, Davis handed the gun to someone sitting in the back seat of the Cadillac and ordered that person to shoot Shakur, who died six days later. Advertisement    Davis is the only person who was in the Cadillac that evening who is still alive. The driver of the BMW, Death Row Records cofounder Marion “Suge” Knight, was wounded. The killing of Shakur, also known as 2Pac, has been one of the US’s most notorious cold cases, prompting endless debate among music fans over who did it and why. The investigation into Shakur’s murder sputtered for decades because of a lack of evidence, but the case was revived when Davis’s memoirs were published in 2019. Davis has repeatedly boasted over the years of involvement in Shakur’s murder, in interviews with law enforcement and media and ultimately in his autobiography, Compton Street Legend. He has since backtracked and pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. Palal, the prosecutor, played clips from Davis’s various alleged confessions as part of his closing arguments.      Michael Sanft, Davis’s defence attorney, characterised his client’s confessions as fiction and lies partly designed to promote his book. “You’re reading a book that is fiction and not fact,” Sanft told the jury. “But the state wants you to believe that this is somehow a confession, that he was there and present at the time of the shooting.” Sanft said there was no evidence implicating Davis in Shakur’s murder other than his own statements. In the run-up to the trial, Davis’s lawyers tried in vain to keep the book from being introduced as evidence, along with remarks he made in an interview with police in 2008. Shakur, who was 25 when he was killed, was a key figure in a hip-hop rivalry pitting US East Coast rappers against West Coast artists. Known for hits including “California Love” and “All Eyez on Me”, Shakur – the son of a Black Panther – was raised in Harlem and Baltimore, but became the epitome of California hip-hop when he signed with Los Angeles-based Death Row Records.            aj-logo             aj-logo             aj-logo       Advertisement          About About   Show more  (https://www.aljazeera.com/about-us) About Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/code-of-ethics/) Code of Ethics   (https://www.aljazeera.com/terms-and-conditions/) Terms and Conditions   (https://www.aljazeera.com/eu-eea-regulatory/) EU/EEA Regulatory Notice   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/) Privacy Policy   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/cookie/) Cookie Policy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Cookie Preferences    (https://trust.aljazeera.net/accessibility/) Accessibility Statement   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sitemap) Sitemap   (https://careers.aljazeera.net/) Work for us      Connect Connect   Show more  (https://network.aljazeera.net/en/contact?tid=6) Contact Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/user-accounts-help) User Accounts Help   (https://commercial.aljazeera.net/) Advertise with us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/stay-connected) Stay Connected   (https://www.aljazeera.com/newsletters) Newsletters   (https://sat.aljazeera.net/en) Channel Finder   (https://www.aljazeera.com/schedule/) TV Schedule   (https://www.aljazeera.com/podcasts/) Podcasts   (https://webapps.aljazeera.net/aje/tips/) Submit a Tip   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored) Paid Partner Content      Our Channels Our Channels   Show more  (http://aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Arabic   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Al Jazeera English   (https://www.ajiunit.com/) Al Jazeera Investigative Unit   (https://www.aljazeeramubasher.net/) Al Jazeera Mubasher   (http://doc.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Documentary   (http://balkans.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Balkans   (http://ajplus.net/) AJ+      Our Network Our Network   Show more  (http://studies.aljazeera.net/en/) Al Jazeera Centre for Studies   (http://training.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Media Institute   (http://learning.aljazeera.net/) Learn Arabic   (http://liberties.aljazeera.com/en) Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights   (http://forum.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Forum   (https://hotels.aljazeera.net/en) Al Jazeera Hotel Partners        Follow Al Jazeera English: (https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera) facebook       (https://twitter.com/ajenglish) twitter     (https://www.youtube.com/aljazeeraenglish) youtube     (https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/?hl=en) instagram-colored-outline                          (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml) rss       (Al Jazeera Media Network logo)   © 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network