Justice has finally caught up with the man accused of orchestrating the killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur, almost three decades after the rapper was gunned down in Las Vegas.
Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a former Los Angeles gang member, was convicted of first-degree murder on Monday following a brief jury deliberation.
The 63-year-old now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars without parole.
The jury returned its verdict after considering allegations that Davis arranged the deadly shooting following a confrontation involving his nephew and members of Shakur’s entourage.
“Count one, murder with use of a deadly weapon, guilty of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon,” the jury foreperson told the court.
Davis told Judge Carli Kierny after the verdict that he planned to challenge the conviction on appeal.
Prosecutors alleged that the deadly confrontation was sparked when Davis’ nephew was beaten by members of Shakur’s entourage at a Las Vegas casino on the night of September 7, 1996.
According to prosecutor Binu Palal, Davis responded to the incident by gathering his associates and obtaining a firearm.
Palal told jurors that Davis then set out to find Shakur.
“Duane Davis, in the culture of gangs, could not let that stand,” Palal said during his closing argument.
Shakur had travelled to Las Vegas to attend the heavyweight boxing match involving Mike Tyson.
Hours after the casino altercation, the rapper was travelling in a BMW with Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled alongside them at a traffic light.
Gunfire was then unleashed on the BMW, with Shakur struck while seated in the front passenger seat.
The prosecution’s case was that Davis supplied the weapon to another passenger in the Cadillac and instructed that person to shoot Shakur.
The rapper succumbed to his injuries six days later at the age of 25.
Knight was also hit during the shooting but survived.
Davis was the last surviving member of the group travelling in the Cadillac that night, according to prosecutors.
For years, the murder remained one of the most closely watched unsolved cases in the United States, with fans and investigators debating the circumstances surrounding Shakur’s death.
The case gained renewed momentum after the publication of Davis’ 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend”.
In the years before his arrest, Davis had spoken publicly about his alleged role in the killing and had made statements about the shooting during interviews with authorities and the media.
He later withdrew those claims and maintained his innocence after being charged.
During the trial, prosecutors relied on recordings and clips of Davis discussing the murder as they sought to convince jurors that his statements amounted to admissions of guilt.
Davis’ lawyer, Michael Sanft, disputed that interpretation and told jurors his client had fabricated the stories.
Sanft argued that Davis had exaggerated his involvement to generate publicity and interest in his book.
The defence maintained that prosecutors had failed to produce independent evidence placing Davis at the centre of the murder.
“You’re reading a book that is fiction and not fact,” Sanft told jurors.
“But the state wants you to believe that this is somehow a confession, that he was there and present at the time of the shooting.”
Davis’ legal team had previously attempted to block prosecutors from introducing his memoir and statements from a 2008 police interview, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
Shakur’s death became intertwined with the highly publicised rivalry between hip-hop artists and record labels associated with the US East Coast and West Coast.
The rapper was born in New York and spent part of his childhood in Baltimore before becoming one of the biggest stars associated with California’s hip-hop scene.
He rose to international fame through songs including “California Love” and “All Eyez on Me” after joining Death Row Records.
Davis will return to court for sentencing on October 13.
