Gang Boss Duane Davis Sentenced to 40 Years for Tupac Shakur's Murder

Former gang boss Duane "Keffe D" Davis has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for orchestrating the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. The sentence was handed down after Davis was convicted in September of one count of murder with a deadly weapon for the rap superstar's death in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996.

Key Evidence

The 63-year-old gang boss was convicted largely on his own words. Davis had repeatedly and publicly acknowledged being inside the white Cadillac from which the deadly shots were fired. He also admitted in his 2019 memoir that he provided the gun used in the crime. In 2008, in exchange for protection from prosecution, he told authorities about his role in Shakur's death during a secret interview related to the killing of fellow rapper Notorious B.I.G.

Davis's Response

Davis has said he will appeal the verdict. Prosecutors argued that while he did not fire the gun himself, he was the ringleader of the group that committed the murder.

End of a Cold Case

Davis's conviction was the first in a cold case that has captivated hip-hop fans for nearly 30 years. Tupac Shakur, born Lesane Parish Crooks, died at age 25 and remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His murder in 1996 Las Vegas, followed months later by the killing of Notorious B.I.G., defined an era of East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry.