LAS VEGAS — August 18, 2026 — Nearly three decades after the death of hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur, the long-awaited murder trial connected to his 1996 killing has begun in Las Vegas.
Opening statements were delivered Monday in the trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a 63-year-old former Los Angeles gang leader who is accused of orchestrating the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur. Davis has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors told jurors that Davis helped plan the attack as retaliation after his nephew, Orlando Anderson, was involved in a confrontation with Shakur and members of the rapper’s entourage at the MGM Grand earlier that night. They allege Davis obtained the weapon and coordinated the attack, although he is not accused of being the person who pulled the trigger.
Shakur, one of the most influential rappers of his generation, was shot while riding in a BMW driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight on September 7, 1996. Shakur was struck multiple times and died six days later at the age of 25.
The defense has challenged the prosecution’s case, arguing that Davis’s public statements about the killing should not be treated as reliable evidence and that the original investigation was flawed.
Davis’s own statements have become a major part of the case. Prosecutors point to interviews and his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, in which he described his involvement and the events surrounding the shooting.
The trial could last several weeks and is expected to revisit one of the most enduring mysteries in hip-hop history. The case is also significant because Davis is the first person formally charged in connection with Shakur’s killing.
For nearly 30 years, questions surrounding who was responsible for Tupac Shakur’s death have remained a major subject of public fascination. Now, a Las Vegas jury will ultimately decide whether prosecutors have proved Davis’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
