Tupac’s accused killer was out for revenge, jury hears

Duane "Keffe D" Davis, a former street gang leader, is on trial for the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. According to prosecutors, Davis ordered the killing as an act of gang revenge. Tupac had publicly beaten Davis's nephew, Orlando Anderson, in a humiliating incident, and Davis sought retribution.

Prosecutor Binu Pilal told jurors that Davis did not pull the trigger but handed the gun to someone in the back seat of his car and ordered them to shoot Tupac. Davis, 63, has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder using a deadly weapon. He has previously confessed to his role in the murder in interviews, media appearances, and an autobiography.

The defense argues that investigators have little evidence to prove their case, and that Davis's accounts cannot be corroborated. The trial is a significant development in a long-unsolved crime that has been a seminal moment in rap history. Tupac was 25 at the time of his death and was one of the most commercially successful and influential artists in hip-hop.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Punch Nigeria, Daily Maverick, CBS News, Gulf News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.