Tupac Shakur murder: ex-gang leader sentenced to 40 years to life in prison

Duane "Keffe D" Davis was handed a 40-year prison sentence on Tuesday, following his conviction in August for orchestrating the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. The sentencing took place just after the 30th anniversary of the notorious drive-by shooting that claimed Shakur's life on September 7, 1996, which left him dead six days later.

Davis was initially arrested and indicted for his role in the crime in September 2023, with a Nevada grand jury indicting him on one count of murder with a deadly weapon. Despite maintaining his innocence, Davis had previously admitted to being present in the Cadillac that pulled up alongside Suge Knight's car during the shooting, which was allegedly triggered by a feud between West Coast and East Coast hip-hop labels.

Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo referred to Davis as the individual who "ordered the death" of Shakur, stating that the defendant was trying to evade responsibility for a crime that everyone knew he committed. Shakur, whose real name was Lesane Parish Crooks, was in Las Vegas that night to celebrate his business partner Tracy Danielle Robinson's birthday and attend a Mike Tyson boxing match at the MGM Grand.

The shooting occurred around 11:15 p.m., when a white late-model Cadillac sedan pulled up to Knight's BMW on the Las Vegas Strip and fired multiple times, striking Shakur four times. A jury in Las Vegas convicted Davis after just three hours of deliberation, and Davis announced his intention to appeal the conviction.