Prosecutors urge conviction of Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis in 1996 Tupac Shakur murder trial

The trial seeks to resolve a nearly 30-year-old cold case involving the death of a prominent cultural figure, testing whether a defendant can be convicted of murder based on self-incriminating statements rather than direct physical evidence.

• •Duane Davis is charged with first-degree murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote or assist a criminal gang.
• •Prosecutors allege Davis provided the gun and ordered the attack on Tupac Shakur as retaliation for a fight involving his nephew.
• •Davis is the only person still alive who was in the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired.
• •The prosecution relies on Davis’ own book, 'Compton Street Legend,' and various public interviews as evidence of his involvement.
• •Under Nevada law, an individual who helps another person commit murder can be held criminally responsible.
• •The trial involves 16 jurors, including four alternates.
• •The prosecution presented testimony from 24 witnesses, while the defense presented three.
• •The defense contends that Davis’ public statements were 'braggadocio' intended to generate income from his memoir.
• •No direct physical evidence, such as phone records or specific forensic links, was presented to tie Davis to the crime scene.
• •Tupac Shakur died six days after the September 7, 1996, shooting.