A Las Vegas jury has found former South Side Compton Crips gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the 1996 killing of American rapper Tupac Shakur.
The 63-year-old was convicted on Monday after jurors deliberated for nearly three hours, bringing the long-running case to its first conviction almost 30 years after Shakur was killed.
Davis was accused of orchestrating the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur on September 7, 1996. Prosecutors said he supplied the gun and directed the attack after his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, was beaten by members of Shakur’s entourage at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas earlier that night.
Shakur was riding in a BMW with Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled alongside them at a red light and opened fire. Shakur was shot several times and died six days later at the age of 25. Knight survived the attack.
Davis, who was in the Cadillac but was not accused of firing the shots, became the focus of the investigation after repeatedly discussing his alleged involvement in interviews and his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend. Prosecutors relied heavily on those statements during the trial.
His defence argued that Davis had exaggerated or fabricated his claims to gain publicity and profit from his book, while prosecutors maintained that his accounts showed he had organized the attack.
Davis pleaded not guilty and told the court after the verdict that he intends to appeal.
He faces a possible life sentence, with sentencing scheduled for October 13, 2026.
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