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Tupac Murder: Biggest Revelations From Duane Davis Trial So Far
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. The murder trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis has already produced several notable developments as prosecutors and defense attorneys battle over who was responsible for the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur .
Davis, a former South Side Compton Crips leader, is the only person ever charged in connection with Shakur's death. Prosecutors contend he orchestrated the retaliatory attack after Shakur and members of his entourage beat Davis' nephew, Orlando Anderson, following a Mike Tyson fight in Las Vegas. Davis has pleaded not guilty.
As testimony continued Friday, marking the end of the trial's first week, jurors have heard witness accounts , listened to portions of Davis' recorded statements to investigators, and been introduced to the sharply different narratives advanced by prosecutors and the defense.
Friday's testimony also included the man who took what is believed to be the last photograph of Shakur before he was fatally shot.
One of the biggest moments of the trial so far came when prosecutors played portions of Davis' 2008 interview with authorities.
The recording is central to the state's case. Prosecutors argue Davis effectively described his role in the events leading to the shooting and provided details about who was in the white Cadillac linked to the attack. Jurors heard portions of the interview this week after prosecutors spent years building a case around Davis' own public statements, interviews and the memoir.
Jurors also heard investigators describe the interview as confidential. Prosecutors contend Davis later undermined those protections by publicly discussing the case in interviews and his 2019 memoir.
Prosecutors have portrayed Davis as someone who repeatedly discussed the killing over the years, describing him as a person who had difficulty remaining silent about the case.
Jurors also heard evidence stemming from Davis' previous statements that allegedly identified Anderson as the person who fired the shots that killed Shakur.
According to audio discussed in court , Davis described Anderson shooting from the back seat of the Cadillac after the vehicle pulled alongside the BMW carrying Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight. Anderson, who died in 1998, was never charged in connection with the murder but has long been considered a key figure in theories surrounding the case.
The testimony offered one of the clearest courtroom accounts yet of who prosecutors believe carried out the shooting.
Perhaps the most unusual development of the trial has been the defense's approach to Davis' own statements.
Rather than disputing that Davis made many of the comments cited by prosecutors, defense attorney Michael Sanft has argued they should not be taken seriously . The defense contends Davis exaggerated stories, sought attention and made claims that investigators were unable to independently verify.
The strategy has become a central theme of the case, with the defense repeatedly arguing that prosecutors are relying too heavily on decades-old statements instead of physical evidence tying Davis to the crime.
Friday's testimony featured Leonard Jefferson, who told jurors he took what is believed to be the last photograph of Shakur before the rapper was killed.
Jefferson testified that he encountered Shakur and Knight while they were sitting in a black BMW at a Las Vegas stoplight on September 7, 1996. According to Jefferson, he briefly spoke with the pair through the vehicle's window.
Moments later, Jefferson testified, he heard what sounded like gunshots. He said he then saw people struggling to open the BMW's door before pulling Shakur from the car.
Jefferson also rejected conspiracy theories suggesting the famous image was staged.
Jurors also heard testimony from retired Las Vegas police officer Garry Dale, who encountered Shakur shortly after the shooting.
Dale testified that he later rode with the critically injured rapper in an ambulance and repeatedly asked him who was responsible. According to the officer, Shakur responded by saying, "No, we'll take care of it."
The testimony provided jurors with a rare account of the rapper's final hours after the attack on the Las Vegas Strip.
Another memorable moment came from eyewitness Ingrid Stokes, who testified that she and several friends were following Knight's BMW toward Club 662 when gunfire erupted.
Stokes told jurors she was switching seats at a red light when the shooting began and described the scene by saying "all hell broke loose." She testified that she briefly saw a white four-door vehicle nearby but could not identify anyone inside.
Her testimony offered a firsthand account of the confusion that unfolded in the moments surrounding the shooting.
The prosecution has devoted significant time to laying out what it says was the motive behind the killing.
Jurors heard testimony about long-running tensions between the South Side Compton Crips and Mob Piru, a gang prosecutors said was associated with Death Row Records. Prosecutors argue the conflict reached a breaking point after Shakur and members of his entourage assaulted Anderson inside the MGM Grand casino on September 7, 1996.
According to the state, the beating set in motion a revenge plot that culminated in the shooting later that night.
As the first week of testimony concludes, prosecutors continue trying to persuade jurors that Davis helped orchestrate the attack, while the defense maintains the state's case relies too heavily on uncorroborated statements made decades after Shakur's death.
The trial resumes next week in Clark County District Court following its first week of testimony.
Prosecutors are expected to continue calling witnesses as they build their case against Duane "Keffe D" Davis, who has pleaded not guilty.
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