Tupac Shakur’s killer has been sentenced and is ‘guaranteed to die behind bars’

Duane Keffe D Davis, a 63-year-old former gang leader, was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed hip-hop star Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. The killing, which took place on September 7, 1996, at the MGM Grand casino, remains unsolved almost three decades later. Davis was found guilty of first-degree murder in August and received the sentence during a hearing in a Las Vegas courtroom.

The murder of Shakur, a victim of the East Coast-West Coast rap feud, is considered one of America's most notorious cold cases. Davis claimed he was motivated to avenge the beating of his nephew by Shakur and members of Shakur's entourage inside the casino. He handed a gun to two associates, who fired shots through the window when they caught up with Shakur and his record executive, Marion Suge Knight, in their car.

Shakur was struck four times and died in the hospital six days later, while Knight suffered a minor injury and is currently serving a 28-year prison term on an unrelated manslaughter conviction.