What to Know About Tupac’s 30-Year-Old Murder Case

The Murder

American rapper Tupac Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight attended a Mike Tyson boxing match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996. After the fight, Shakur and Knight, with help from other members of the Mob Piru Bloods, were caught on video footage beating up a member of a rival street gang. Orlando Anderson was the man beaten that night and a member of the South Side Compton Crips. These two street gangs have a long and bloody history of rivalry between them.

Some time after this footage was taken, Shakur and Knight were driving in downtown Las Vegas in Knight’s BMW. Shakur was riding in the passenger seat. A white Cadillac pulled up next to the BMW and started firing shots into the car. Shakur was struck four times and ultimately died from his injuries six days later. Knight was struck but survived the attempted double homicide.

Due to witnesses of the murder disappearing and even being killed, a lack of physical evidence, and no one being willing to communicate information about the crime with police, the case stalled for over 20 years.

Duane “Keefe D” Davis

Anderson, Duane “Keefe D” Davis’ nephew, denied any involvement with the murder of Shakur and was killed in 1998 in an unrelated shooting. Davis shared with police his involvement with other big names in the rap industry, claiming to have even been at a party with Biggie Smalls, the Notorious B.I.G., who was killed in a separate shooting months after Shakur.

Davis also shared with police that he was in the car — the white Cadillac — at the time that Shakur was shot and killed. The information he shared with police was in exchange for not being charged with the crime.

This deal with law enforcement was honored until Davis started sharing information about his involvement publicly in 2019 when he co-authored the memoir titled “Compton Street Legend.” The memoir included information about his leadership role in the South Side Compton Crips, and that he was responsible for disposing of the weapon used in the killing of Shakur. Though, he never claimed to open fire.

Nevada prosecutors argued that Davis orchestrated the shooting as retaliation for beating up his nephew, and even supplying the weapon that was used. The prosecutors also claimed that by disclosing this information in the memoir, Davis broke the agreement made with law enforcement. A judge agreed and signed off on Davis’ arrest.

Davis pleaded not guilty. He and his defense argued that the memoir was co-authored and the statements made regarding the shooting were written by ghostwriters.

On Aug. 31, the jury found Davis to be guilty of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 13. Davis has stated he is planning on appealing the verdict.