Duane Davis sentenced to 40 years to life for Tupac Shakur murder

A Nevada judge has sentenced Duane "Keffe D" Davis to 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. The sentence came nearly 30 years after Shakur was shot in a drive-by attack in Las Vegas. Davis, a former gang boss, was arrested in 2023 and had pleaded not guilty. In August, after a nine-day trial, a jury convicted him of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon.

The court imposed 20 years to life for the murder and a mandatory consecutive 20 years to life for the deadly weapon enhancement. The aggregate sentence is 40 years to life. Davis received 731 days credit for time served. He was also ordered to pay a $25 administrative assessment fee, a $3 DNA collection fee and a $150 DNA fee. He was remanded in custody.

Davis was never accused of pulling the trigger. He was convicted of masterminding the killing, supplying a weapon and setting the shooting in motion. Much of the crucial evidence came from his own words in police interviews and in a memoir he co-wrote. He placed himself in the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired and said he handed a gun to someone in the back seat. His lawyers said the memoir was fiction, written to sell books, but the jury found him guilty of organising the murder.

In court, the judge told Davis: "You don't get to take a man from his family. You don't get to take his very life, his whole future from him and just walk away from it. Especially when that man is Tupac Shakur." She said the world never forgot Shakur and neither did Las Vegas. She told Davis it took 30 years, but he would now face justice. She also noted he had spoken about his involvement over the years to podcasters, law enforcement, friends and his ghost writer, while claiming he had changed his life. She told him that may be in the past for him, but he had taken a life, and not just any life, but the life of one of the most infamous rappers on the planet.

Shakur's younger sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, spoke before the sentencing. She fought back tears as she described the impact of her brother's killing. She said she had suffered depression, suicidal thoughts and hospital treatment for trauma. She described a beloved brother who took care of her and the family, and who had supported many people. She said: "I miss my brother. I miss his laugh. I miss the scar on his head. I miss the way that he cooked, the way that he laughed with us." She asked the judge for the maximum sentence.

Shakur was 25 when he was killed on 7 September 1996. He had sold more than 75 million records worldwide and was one of rap's most influential voices. He was also an actor and poet, and became closely linked with West Coast rap. His murder remained one of America's most famous unsolved cases for decades. Davis is the only person convicted in the case.

When the judge asked Davis if he had anything to say, he complained that police had taken family photos and memorabilia when he was arrested and asked for them back. He barely glanced at Shakur's family. His legal team has said it will appeal the verdict. Because Davis is in his early 60s and appeals in the United States can take years, the chance of overturning the verdict or winning a new trial is seen as slim. He is likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars.