Duane Davis sentenced for the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur

On October 13, 2026, 63-year-old Duane "Keffe D" Davis was sentenced in a Nevada court to a prison term ranging from 40 years to life for his role in the 1996 murder of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur. The sentence includes 20 years to life for first-degree murder and an additional 20 years to life due to the use of a deadly weapon during the crime. The sentencing follows a guilty verdict delivered by a jury in September.

Prosecutors successfully argued that although Davis did not pull the trigger, he served as the mastermind of the gang that executed the drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996. The case, which remained unsolved for nearly three decades, relied partly on Davis’s own previous public admissions and details shared in his book regarding his provision of the murder weapon. Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo emphasized Davis’s history of eight prior felony convictions when arguing for the maximum penalty.

While this marks the first conviction in the long-standing investigation, the defense has already indicated plans to appeal the court's decision. Davis remains in custody as the case moves into the post-conviction legal process.