By The Daily Caller (U.S.) | Created at 2026-10-13 20:41:59 | Updated at 2026-10-16 14:02:17
2 days ago
Duane “Keffe D” Davis was sentenced to 40 years in prison for orchestrating the 1996 murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur.
Tuesday’s sentencing came just weeks after a jury found Davis guilty of one count of murder with a deadly weapon in the fatal drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. Davis has already indicated he will appeal the conviction, according to the BBC.
Duane Davis, Accused Killer Of Tupac Shakur, Returns To Court
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 27: Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who is accused of orchestrating the 1996 slaying of Tupac Shakur, appears in court during a bond hearing at the Regional Justice Center August 27, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bizuayehu Tesfaye-Pool/Getty Images)
The 63-year-old former leader of the South Side Compton Crips street gang is the only person to be convicted in the high-profile murder case that has captivated generations of hip hop fans for nearly three decades.
The prosecution argued that Davis did not fire the fatal shot that took Shakur’s life, but was the ringleader in a group of men who committed the murder, according to the BBC.
KMEL Summer Jam 1992 - Mountain View CA
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - AUGUST 1: Tupac Shakur attends KMEL Summer Jam at Shoreline Amphitheatre on August 1, 1992 in Mountain View California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
Davis’ own words served as key evidence against him in court. In his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” he admitted to providing the gun used in Shakur’s murder. His repeated boasts about being inside the white Cadillac from which the fatal shots were fired were also used against him during the trial. (RELATED: Bombshell Court Testimony Links Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs To Tupac Murder Case)
Davis was shielded from prosecution after signing an immunity deal in 2008, but public bragging of his involvement in Shakur’s death legally voided the protective agreement with authorities that had previously blocked criminal charges from being brought against him, according to the BBC.
Davis’ own police interview was introduced as evidence against him during the murder trial.
