Tupac Shakur: Jury finally confirms who is responsible for the rapper's murder in 1996

Nearly three decades after Tupac Shaku r was killed in a Las Vegas drive-by shooting, a jury has finally delivered a verdict in the case that became one of the most enduring mysteries in music and popular culture.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, was found guilty of one count of murder with a deadly weapon for his role in the 1996 killing of Shakur. The 63-year-old Davis stood largely expressionless in a Las Vegas courtroom as the verdict was read. He later told the judge that he intended to appeal.

For Shakur's family, however, the verdict brought an emotional moment after years of uncertainty. Relatives held hands, hugged one another and cried as the long-running case finally reached its first conviction. Outside the courthouse, devoted Shakur fans also gathered, with some crying and others cheering after hearing the verdict.

A murder that defined an era

Shakur was only 25 years old when he was killed on Sept. 7, 1996. At the time, he was one of the biggest stars in hip-hop and one of the genre's most influential voices. His music had crossed well beyond rap, and his cultural influence continued to grow after his death.

He has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. His murder occurred during one of the most turbulent periods in hip-hop history, when tensions between the East Coast and West Coast rap scenes overlapped with longstanding gang rivalries involving the Bloods and Crips.

Shakur had been associated with the West Coast rap movement and Death Row Records , while his highly publicized feud with East Coast rapper The Notorious B.I.G. and Bad Boy Records became part of the larger narrative surrounding the era. But prosecutors argued that the events leading to Shakur's death were much more direct.

Prosecutors say Davis ordered the shooting

The prosecution's case did not depend on proving that Davis personally fired the weapon. Instead, prosecutors argued that Davis orchestrated the attack and supplied the gun that his nephew, Orlando Anderson , used during the shooting. Earlier on the day of Shakur's death, Anderson had been involved in a physical confrontation with Shakur and members of the rapper's entourage at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

According to prosecutors, the confrontation provided the motive for retaliation. They argued that Davis organized the response and was inside the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired later that night.

Shakur was riding in a BMW driven by Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled alongside the vehicle. Gunfire erupted, striking Shakur multiple times. He died six days later at the age of 25.

Perhaps the most significant evidence presented to jurors came from Davis himself. For years, Davis had publicly discussed his alleged involvement in the events surrounding Shakur's death.

He acknowledged being inside the Cadillac during a secret 2008 police interview conducted as part of an investigation i nto the killing of The Notorious B.I.G., whose real name was Christopher Wallace.

Davis later provided additional details about his role in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, as well as in documentaries, podcasts and other media appearances. Those statements ultimately became crucial to the prosecution.

A protective agreement Davis had previously reached with authorities initially prevented criminal charges from being brought against him based on information from his police interview. But prosecutors argued that his later public statements and other actions had voided that protection. The court ultimately ruled that the 2008 interview could be used against him at trial.