Tupac Murder Trial Begins Thirty Years After His Death

Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis’ trial for the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur has begun, with prosecutors calling the shooting “an act of revenge.” In his opening statement, Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal said Davis orchestrated the attack following a brawl between Shakur’s entourage and his nephew, Orlando ‘Baby Lane’ Anderson. Prosecutors allege Davis supplied the .40-caliber Glock used in the shooting but did not fire the shots that killed Shakur. Palal argued that Davis’ “visceral anger” from the earlier fight drove the retaliation, while the defense questioned the evidence linking Davis to Las Vegas at the time of the killing. Jurors were shown a 2008 interview in which Davis described the shooting and stated, “I gave it to Dre,” referring to DeAndre ‘Dre’ Smith. Prosecutors allege Smith hesitated before Anderson took the gun and opened fire at Shakur’s BMW, also wounding Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight. Defense lawyer Michael Sanft argued that investigators never verified Davis’ account of the shooting and questioned why he was not charged following the 2008 interview.