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Thirty years of waiting, a memoir and a trial: conviction in Tupac Shakur killing brings closure

1 September 2026 at 04:57

A Las Vegas jury on Monday found Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis guilty in the 1996 murder of the hip-hop icon

Thirty years after the killing of Tupac Shakur, conspiracy theories and rumors about the perpetrator’s identity, one man has now been held criminally responsible for the rap icon’s death.

A Las Vegas jury convicted Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a 63-year-old former South Side Compton Crips gang leader, of murder for his role in the drive-by shooting. During the two-week-long trial, prosecutors argued Davis was the “on-the-ground, on-site commander of the effort to kill Tupac” and had sought revenge after the musician was involved in a fight with his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson.

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© Photograph: Eli Reed/Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Eli Reed/Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Eli Reed/Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock

Duane Davis Is Convicted of Orchestrating Tupac Shakur’s Murder

1 September 2026 at 05:54
Duane Keith Davis, 63, was found guilty of first-degree murder after he went on an interview tour discussing his role in the 1996 drive-by shooting.

© Pool photo by Bizuayehu Tesfaye

Duane Keith Davis, right, and his lawyer, Michael Sanft, after a jury found Mr. Davis guilty. He faces up to life in prison.

Thirty years of waiting, a memoir and a trial: conviction in Tupac Shakur killing brings closure

A Las Vegas jury on Monday found Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis guilty in the 1996 murder of the hip-hop icon

Thirty years after the killing of Tupac Shakur, conspiracy theories and rumors about the perpetrator’s identity, one man has now been held criminally responsible for the rap icon’s death.

A Las Vegas jury convicted Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a 63-year-old former South Side Compton Crips gang leader, of murder for his role in the drive-by shooting. During the two-week long trial, prosecutors argued Davis was the “on-the-ground, on-site commander of the effort to kill Tupac” and had sought revenge after the musician was involved in a fight with his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Eli Reed/Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Eli Reed/Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Eli Reed/Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock

Tupac Shakur Was at His Cultural Peak When He Was Killed

1 September 2026 at 04:37
Shortly before he was murdered in 1996, the rapper had released “All Eyez on Me,” a landmark album that turned him into a superstar.

© Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

Tupac Shakur performing in Milwaukee in 1994.

Duane Keith Davis found guilty of 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur

1 September 2026 at 04:25

Las Vegas jury returns verdict against ex-South Side Compton Crips gang leader in killing of US rap legend

A Las Vegas jury has found former South Side Compton Crips gang leader Duane Keith Davis guilty of the murder of Tupac Shakur, bringing the case to a close nearly 30 years after the famous rapper was gunned down.

The jury took about three hours to reach a guilty verdict in a case that relied heavily on multiple confessions from Davis himself, including his description of the killing in the 2019 memoir Compton Street Legend.

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© Photograph: Caroline Brehman/Pool Reuters/AP

© Photograph: Caroline Brehman/Pool Reuters/AP

© Photograph: Caroline Brehman/Pool Reuters/AP

Jury convicts Duane 'Keffe D' Davis of first-degree murder for the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur

A jury has found Duane "Keffe D" Davis guilty of orchestrating the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur. The verdict Monday marks the first and only conviction in a case that has gripped hip-hop fans for years.

Tupac Shakur murder trial: jury begins deliberations after hearing closing arguments

1 September 2026 at 00:42

Former gang leader Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis, 63, is accused of ordering the killing of the hip-hop star in 1996

A Las Vegas jury is now deliberating after hearing closing arguments in the trial of the South Side Compton Crips gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who is accused of ordering the murder of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur.

Davis, 63, is accused of leading a group of men to kill Shakur in retaliation for the beating of his nephew, though not of pulling the trigger himself. Davis has pleaded not guilty.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed reporting

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© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

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