Duane Davis Receives 40 Years to Life for Tupac Shakur Murder

Duane "Keffe D" Davis was sentenced in Las Vegas to 40 years to life in prison for his role in the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, after being convicted of first-degree murder for orchestrating the shooting that killed Shakur at age 25.

According to CNN, Davis, 63, received credit for 731 days already served. He was found guilty on August 31, 2026, and remains the only person charged in connection with Shakur's death.

Prosecutors built the case around Davis' own statements from interviews, police discussions and his 2019 memoir. They argued he arranged the attack in retaliation after a fight involving his nephew Orlando Anderson and Shakur's entourage at the MGM Grand.

In his memoir, Davis described his version of events with the statement, "I know the real f**king story," he wrote.

Davis' public accounts became central evidence after prosecutors argued they undermined an earlier agreement with investigators. The trial focused on his alleged role in planning the shooting rather than pulling the trigger.

During a 2008 interview with investigators, Davis described the shooting and identified his nephew as the person who fired. "He rolled down the window, popped," Davis said to officials.

Davis also told investigators he was involved in the group that carried out the attack. "We did the other one," Davis said, according to former LAPD detective Daryn Dupree's testimony.

The 1996 killing occurred after a Mike Tyson boxing match in Las Vegas. Shakur was shot while riding in a BMW with Marion "Suge" Knight and died six days later from his injuries.

The case remained unresolved for nearly three decades before Davis' statements renewed attention from investigators. Davis previously told officials another killing was not connected to his group, saying, "No, we didn’t have anything to do with that one," according to testimony.

After Shakur's death, his rap rival Christopher Wallace was also killed in a separate 1997 shooting. Wallace had described the coastal hip-hop conflict as "game over" while discussing the feud before his death.

At sentencing, Shakur's family described the lasting impact of his death. His sister Sekyiwa Shakur addressed the court about the loss of her brother.

"The loss of Tupac crippled my family emotionally," Sekyiwa Shakur said, adding that "he dedicated his career to the advancement of his people, he was gently kind to women and children, he fed anyone he knew that didn’t have, he was truly my shining star."

Shakur's brother Mopreme Shakur also spoke about the future his brother lost. "Pac didn’t have a chance to have kids, he didn’t have a chance to see his nieces and nephews grow up," Mopreme Shakur said.

He continued with another statement about the consequences of the murder. "All Pac got was a death sentence," Mopreme Shakur said.

Prosecutors said Davis' own statements helped establish their case, while Davis' defense challenged the reliability of those accounts. The court proceedings ended with Davis receiving the prison sentence ordered by Judge Carli Kierny.