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Former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been sentenced to at least 40 years in prison for his role in the 1996 killing of American rap icon Tupac Shakur, bringing a major development in one of the most closely followed murder cases in hip-hop history.
Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been sentenced to at least 40 years in prison for his role in the 1996 murder of American rap icon Tupac Shakur, following his conviction for murder with a deadly weapon. Davis has said he will appeal.
Prosecutors argued that Davis orchestrated the drive-by shooting and supplied the gun used in the attack, although he did not fire the fatal shots himself. His previous statements, memoir and media interviews played a key role in the case.
Tupac’s sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, and brother, Maurice Shakur, urged the court to impose the maximum sentence, describing the lasting impact of the rapper’s death on their family. Tupac was 25 when he was killed in Las Vegas on 7 September 1996.
Davis, 63, was found guilty in September of one count of murder with a deadly weapon in connection with the fatal drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on 7 September 1996. He has indicated that he intends to appeal the conviction.
Although Davis did not fire the fatal shots himself, prosecutors argued that he orchestrated the attack and supplied the firearm used in the killing. His conviction marked the first successful prosecution in a case that had remained unsolved for nearly three decades.
During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo accused Davis of repeatedly boasting about his involvement in Shakur’s death. He argued that Davis had spent years “publicly grandstanding”* about the killing, which he said *“had wide-ranging effects upon the world”.
Shakur’s relatives addressed the court before the sentence was handed down, describing the lasting impact of his death on their family.
His sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, told the court that losing her brother had left the family devastated.
She said;
She also spoke about her brother’s ambitions and his desire to make a difference in his community, saying,
Sekyiwa urged the judge to impose the maximum possible sentence, telling Davis that he would have to “contemplate what you've done to the world, not just to me” while behind bars.
Shakur’s brother, Maurice Shakur, also appealed for the harshest possible punishment, asking the judge to impose
When Judge Carli Kierny gave Davis an opportunity to address the court, he maintained that he would challenge the outcome.
He said;
Before announcing the sentence, Kierny stressed the seriousness of the crime and the permanent loss suffered by Shakur’s family.
The judge told Davis;
You don't get to take a man from his family. You don't get to take his very life, his whole future from him, and just walk away from it. Especially when that man is Tupac Shakur. The world never forgot about him and his death