Ex-gang boss found guilty in 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur

Former gang leader Duane "Keffe D" Davis has been convicted of orchestrating the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, following a 30-year cold case that had puzzled hip-hop fans. The jury found Davis guilty of one count of murder with a deadly weapon for the Los Angeles rapper's fatal drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on 7 September 1996.

Davis, now 63, remained stoic as the verdict was announced, stating he would appeal the decision. Shakur's relatives were visibly emotional, with some embracing prosecutors after the ruling. The trial focused on Davis' own admissions, including his incriminating police interview from 2008 and his detailed accounts in his 2019 memoir.

Prosecutors argued that Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, did not fire the gun but ordered the shooting and supplied the weapon used by his nephew Orlando Anderson. The case gained widespread attention due to the intense rivalry between East Coast and West Coast rap scenes, as well as the Bloods and Crips gang feuds that dominated hip-hop at the time.

Shakur, who sold over 75 million records worldwide, had been 25 when he was killed. Davis' sentencing is set for 13 October, and he immediately announced his intention to appeal the verdict.