Keffe D gets 40 years to life over Tupac’s murder

More than 30 years after Tupac Shakur was killed, Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.

The 63-year-old was convicted in August of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon. He is the only person ever charged over the 1996 drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip.

Shakur, 25, was riding in a black BMW with Marion “Suge” Knight on September 7, 1996, when a white Cadillac pulled alongside them at a red light and gunfire erupted. Tupac died six days later; Knight survived.

Prosecutors said Davis orchestrated the shooting and supplied the gun after Shakur and his entourage fought with Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, earlier that night.

The case stayed unsolved for years before Davis gave interviews and described his role in a 2019 memoir. Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo said Davis was “guaranteed to die” behind bars, arguing he should receive the maximum sentence.

Davis spoke only briefly at sentencing, asking for personal items seized by police. When asked whether he had anything else to say, he replied: “No I’m good.” His lawyer says he plans to appeal.

For Tupac’s whānau, the sentencing marked a long-delayed moment of accountability. Prosecutor Binu Palal said the rap legend was not just an icon: “Tupac Shakur was a brother, a son, a cousin, a loved person ripped from them 30 years ago.”