The jury in the murder trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis has begun deliberations, nearly 30 years after the drive-by shooting that killed rap icon Tupac Shakur. Closing arguments concluded Monday evening at the Clark County District Court Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, and the 12-person jury left to consider their verdict.
What happened at closing arguments
Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal opened the prosecution's case first, arguing that Davis, 63, orchestrated the September 7, 1996 shooting as an act of revenge against Shakur. According to prosecutors, Davis believed Shakur was responsible for an earlier confrontation in which his nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, was allegedly assaulted outside a Lakewood Mall casino in Las Vegas hours before the shooting.
Palal told jurors that although Davis did not fire the gun that killed Shakur, Nevada law allows someone to be convicted of murder if they help another person commit the crime. Prosecutors painted Davis as a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips gang who commanded the men who carried out the attack.
Then Chief Deputy DA Marc DiGiacomo delivered the prosecution's rebuttal, calling the case a "slam-dunk, absolutely no defense to murder" situation. DiGiacomo pressed jurors to focus on the evidence they had heard, including Davis' own 2019 memoir and recorded interviews with law enforcement and documentary filmmakers, in which Davis described his role in the shooting.
"Mr. Davis is trying to escape responsibility for a crime that he has admitted to multiple times," DiGiacomo told the jury, according to AP News. "At the end of the day, hold him accountable."
The defense case
Defense attorney Michael Sanft countered that the prosecution's case rests on nothing more than words from a book he called fiction. Sanft told jurors there is no physical evidence placing Davis at the scene. He outlined what he described as inconsistencies in witness testimonies and argued that many witnesses had been influenced by money, media attention, or information supplied by investigators over the decades.
Sanft also attacked the credibility of law enforcement, describing a pattern of "biased, sloppy and incomplete" detective work. He listed potential witnesses who were never called to trial and asked jurors to consider what the prosecution has not proven rather than what they speculate happened.
"Confuse historical facts with fictional embellishments," Sanft told the jury when addressing Davis' memoir, which a judge had ruled admissible despite the defense's objections. He argued the disclaimer in the book should have been enough to dismiss its reliability as evidence.
What the jury must decide
The case centers on the night of September 7, 1996, when Shakur, 25, was attending a Mike Tyson boxing match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. After the fight, Shakur was in a BMW with Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight when a white Cadillac pulled up at a red light. Shakur was shot multiple times from the Cadillac and died six days later. Knight survived the attack.
The confrontation was rooted in the broader East Coast versus West Coast rap rivalry and turf wars between street gangs that defined hip-hop in the 1990s. Shakur and Knight were affiliated with the Mob Piru Bloods, while Davis was a prominent leader of the South Side Compton Crips.
Over 20 witnesses testified during the trial, though most eyewitnesses to the shooting itself are no longer alive. Ingrid Stokes, one of the few remaining witnesses, testified that she was driving around Las Vegas the night of the shooting and described hearing gunshots when her car stopped at a traffic light.
"Everyone was head down, taking our seat belts off, when we heard the gunshots," Stokes testified. "All hell broke loose," according to BBC reporting.
What comes next
The judge has separated 12 of the 16-person jury panel, designating four alternates who will be excused but cannot discuss the case. Attorneys were asked to provide contact numbers in case the jury has questions during deliberations.
If convicted on the charge of murder with a deadly weapon with intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang, Davis faces life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The case remains the only murder prosecution in the death of Tupac Shakur, who remains one of the most influential figures in popular music history. His 20-plus studio albums continue to generate billions of streams and sales worldwide. The case joins other high-profile entertainment news stories like the recent Dolly Parton memorial planning (Dolly Parton dies at 80) in shaping cultural memory of music legends.
Read the full AP News live coverage here and the BBC's trial analysis here.