Man Convicted of Orchestrating Tupac Shakur Murder Sentenced to 40 Years to Life

Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for his role in orchestrating the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur.

Ahead of sentencing, Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa, gave an emotional statement to the court about her late brother’s murder. “The loss of Tupac crippled my family emotionally,” she said, adding that “he dedicated his career to the advancement of his people, he was gently kind to women and children, he fed anyone he knew that didn’t have, he was truly my shining star.”

“Pac didn’t have a chance to have kids, he didn’t have a chance to see his nieces and nephews grow up” added Shakur’s brother, Mopreme Shakur, in a separate statement. “All Pac got was a death sentence.”

In 2023, Davis was arrested after admitting in his 2019 memoir Compton Street Legend and in earlier interviews that he was in the car when Shakur was gunned down, but was not the one to pull the trigger. He also repeatedly claimed the shooting was organized as retaliation for the rapper’s entourage attacking Davis’ nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson at an MGM Grand boxing match in Las Vegas earlier that night—itself a retaliation for a fight in Los Angeles that year involving Anderson and an associate of Death Row founder Suge Knight.

Seeking retribution on behalf of his nephew, Davis soon “went hunting” for Shakur and Knight, Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal said during the trial’s closing arguments, per AP. Shakur and Knight were later shot while sitting at a red light. The 25-year-old Shakur died six days later from his injuries, while Knight was injured but survived. Davis is the last surviving member of the four men who prosecutors say were in the Cadillac.

In one critical 2008 interview as part of a proffer agreement, Davis told investigators that it was his nephew who fired the shots that killed Shakur. “He rolled down the window, popped ’em,” Davis said to officials. “If they drove on my side, I would have popped ’em.” Davis incorrectly assumed the agreement protected him from speaking publicly about Shakur’s murder. The deal was later voided and used as evidence in the Shakur case.