What it was like inside court for Tupac Shakur’s murder trial verdict

Former gang leader Duane Keffe D Davis has been found guilty of orchestrating the 1996 murder of rap star Tupac Shakur in a Las Vegas drive-by shooting, ending a decades-long cold case that gripped hip-hop fans. The jury convicted Davis of one count of murder with a deadly weapon, finding him responsible for the fatal shots fired from a white Cadillac, although he did not personally discharge the gun.

Prosecutors argued that Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, ordered the shooting and supplied the gun to his nephew Orlando Anderson, who opened fire. Anderson later died in an unrelated shooting in 2008. Despite public acknowledgments of his involvement in interviews and a memoir, Davis insisted he was innocent during the trial, with his defense team arguing his comments were exaggerated claims for personal gain.

Shakur, a pivotal figure in rap music with global record sales exceeding 75 million, had been embroiled in intense East Coast-West Coast rivalry and gang feuds when he was killed at 25. The key evidence in the case were Davis' own statements made in a 2008 police interview, which were admitted due to a prior protective agreement voided by the court.

The family of Shakur, grieving in court, contrasted with the emotional reactions of devoted fans outside. Davis was sentenced to sentencing on October 13, with an appeal pending immediately following the verdict.