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Verdict in Las Vegas
A Las Vegas jury found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of orchestrating the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur, convicting him Monday on a charge of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon.
“Davis, 63, was convicted Monday on a charge of murder with a deadly weapon”
Davis, 63, was convicted in Clark County, Nevada, and Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors in closing arguments that Davis acquired a gun and “went hunting” for Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight after they beat up Davis’ nephew earlier that night.
The prosecution said Shakur was in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996, stopped at a red light when a white Cadillac pulled up beside him, and shots were fired, and Shakur died six days later from his wounds.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours after a weekslong trial, and the verdict marked the first conviction in a case that had gripped hip-hop fans for decades.
Under Nevada law, someone who helps another person commit murder can be convicted of the crime, and Davis was not accused of pulling the trigger.
Competing accounts
In closing arguments, Palal emphasized what he called the “core facts,” saying, “The core facts remain. The material facts remain,” including that Davis repeatedly placed himself inside a white Cadillac from which the shots were fired.
Davis’ defense attorney Michael Sanft argued that jurors lacked evidence beyond Davis’ own statements, saying, “They have nothing in this case that says that man was here in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996,” pointing toward Davis.
The trial featured testimony from 24 prosecution witnesses and three defense witnesses over nine days, and the panel included 16 jurors, four of whom were alternates.
Prosecutors said the state would dismiss the gang enhancement part of the charge due to witness logistics, and PBS reported that the jury deliberated for less than 3 hours after a weekslong trial in Las Vegas.
NBC News reported that District Judge Carli Kierny ordered Davis to remain in jail until his Oct. 13 sentencing, and that Davis indicated he intends to file an appeal.
What happens next
After the verdict, Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, cried and reached back to a person behind her, and Davis’ son covered his face with one hand as the guilty finding was read.
“District Judge Carli Kierny ordered Davis, who faces a life sentence, to remain in jail until his Oct. 13 sentencing”
The conviction could carry a life sentence, and Telemundo 52 said Davis could face cadena perpetua if declared guilty, while NBC News reported Davis faces a life sentence.
The case’s next procedural step is sentencing, with NBC News stating Kierny ordered Davis to remain in jail until his Oct. 13 sentencing and the Guardian reporting that Judge Carli Kierny scheduled Davis’s sentencing hearing for 13 October.
The prosecution’s theory tied the killing to gang retaliation and revenge, and Los Angeles Times quoted Palal saying, “Duane Davis, in the culture of gangs, could not let that stand. He acquired a firearm, got his group together, and went hunting for Mr. Shakur or Mr. Knight.”
The defense framed Davis’ admissions as unreliable, with Los Angeles Times quoting Sanft that “We can’t even put Davis in Las Vegas,” and CBS News reporting that the defense pointed to the absence of surveillance footage, phone records and other evidence placing Davis there.