Tupac Shakur Murder Trial Begins in Las Vegas 30 Years Later
On Monday, the murder trial of Tupac Shakur commenced in Las Vegas, marking three decades since his passing. The only defendant, 63-year-old Duane 'Keffe D' Davis, faces charges for allegedly planning the murder and supplying the firearm. Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, and succumbed to his injuries six days later while riding in a BMW driven by Marion 'Suge' Knight after attending a Mike Tyson fight. Davis, who has pleaded not guilty, asserts that a passenger in the back seat was responsible for the gunfire. The other three occupants of the vehicle—Terrence Brown, DeAndre Smith, and Orlando Anderson—are all deceased. Davis's autobiography, published in 2019, contributed to the case's revival. The trial is anticipated to span five weeks, with over 200 potential witnesses.
Key facts
- Tupac Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, and died on September 13, 1996.
- Duane 'Keffe D' Davis is the only defendant in the murder trial, accused of being the mastermind and providing the gun.
- The trial began on Monday in Las Vegas.
- Davis admitted he was in the Cadillac but says a rear-seat passenger fired the shots.
- The other three men in the Cadillac—Terrence Brown, DeAndre Smith, and Orlando Anderson—are dead.
- Davis's 2019 autobiography 'Compton Street Legend' helped reopen the case.
- Judge Carli Kierny allowed Davis's statements from the book as evidence.
- Davis faces life in prison without parole if convicted.
- The trial is expected to last five weeks with over 200 potential witnesses.
- Marion 'Suge' Knight and Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo are expected to testify.
Entities
Artists
- Tupac Shakur
- Marion 'Suge' Knight
- Duane 'Keffe' Davis
- Terrence Brown
- DeAndre Smith
- Orlando Anderson
- Michael Sanft
- Carli Kierny
- Joe Lombardo
- Sekyiwa Shakur
- Maurice 'Mopreme' Shakur
- Suge Knight
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs
- Snoop Dogg
- Dr. Dre
- Biggie Smalls
- Notorious B.I.G.
- Afeni Shakur
- Mike Tyson
- Bruce Seldon
- Jeff Pearlman
- Santi Elijah Holley
- Shaun Kent
- Greg Kading
- Oscar Goodman
Institutions
- Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
- Crips
- Bloods
- Death Row Chronicles
- Death Row Records
- Bad Boy Records
- Las Vegas Police Department
- Los Angeles Police Department
- BBC
- Fox 5
Locations
- Las Vegas
- Nevada
- Los Angeles
- New York City
- California
- MGM Grand