Duane 'Keffe D' Davis sentenced to 40 years to life for Tupac Shakur murder
Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, has been sentenced for his involvement in the 1996 death of rap legend Tupac Shakur near the Las Vegas Strip
Duane "Keffe D" Davis has been handed a sentence of 40 years to life in prison for masterminding the killing of hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur. The celebrated artist was gunned down close to the Las Vegas Strip over three decades ago.
The 63 year old Davis was convicted in August of first-degree murder involving a deadly weapon. He stands as the sole person ever prosecuted in relation to Shakur's death, who was at the pinnacle of his career aged just 25.
On Tuesday, prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo told the court that whatever sentence was imposed, Davis is "guaranteed to die" behind bars.]
"It's not just about losing a family member," DiGiacomo said as Shakur's sister Sekyiwa "Set" Shakur nodded in agreement among those gathered.
The murder went unsolved for decades until Davis, a former South Side Compton Crips leader, gave interviews and chronicled his role in the fatal shooting through his 2019 tell-all memoir, reports Daily Star, reports the Express.
DiGiacomo contended that Davis sought to make money from a murder he carried out, and therefore shouldn't receive the lightest possible punishment.
"In my mind he deserves the maximum possible sentence," DiGiacomo said.
Davis spoke briefly to the court, telling Judge Carli Kierny he wanted items back that officers took from his home, including his pictures. When questioned whether he had anything else to add, Davis replied: "No I'm good."
Davis's lawyer, Michael Sanft, has indicated plans to challenge the conviction.
Sanft maintained that prosecutors had taken far too long to pursue the case.
On the night of 7 September 1996, Shakur was riding as a passenger in a black BMW with music mogul Marion "Suge" Knight when a white Cadillac pulled up beside them at traffic lights, and shots were fired. Shakur was struck by several bullets and passed away six days afterwards, while Knight lived.
Shakur is considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time and had a bright future ahead of him as an actor when he was killed. His influence has only grown stronger since. His music continues to resonate with fans through themes of adversity, love and Black struggles.
In his memoir, Davis described how Shakur and his crew assaulted Davis's nephew just hours before the fatal shooting in Las Vegas.
He claimed he sought vengeance, and that he sat in the front passenger seat of the Cadillac and passed the gun to those in the back, from where the bullets were fired. Davis had previously given statements to officers years beforehand but avoided charges thanks to a deal he'd struck with authorities.
During the lengthy trial, prosecutors relied heavily on Davis's own confessions made to police and documentary makers. They argued Davis orchestrated the attack and provided the weapon that killed Shakur, which was rooted in a dispute between the South Side Compton Crips and Mob Piru.
Davis's defence lawyer pointed to a lack of physical evidence connecting his client to the three-decade-old crime, and portrayed Davis as someone making false claims in an attempt to gain financially. After nine days of testimony in August, the jury took three hours to reach their guilty verdict.
Shakur's family members spoke at the sentencing, including his siblings Maurice "Mopreme" Shakur and Sekyiwa "Set" Shakur.
Following the verdict, prosecutor Binu Palal said that while Shakur was an icon or an idea to many, "but to the family, Tupac Shakur was a brother, a son, a cousin, a loved person ripped from them 30 years ago."
Palal observed the family suffered through years of Davis "bragging about killing someone they loved.
"They loved that man. And the arrogance that Mr. Davis had in expressing his joy in killing that man ultimately was his undoing," Palal said.
Davis is the only person charged and convicted in Shakur's murder. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson has said his office doesn't believe it possesses sufficient evidence to prosecute anyone else.
"But like any other case, if we come into more information, more evidence, we can always consider filing additional charges," he said after the guilty verdict. "But today, we don't believe that's the appropriate move to make."