Attorneys for Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the man accused of killing rap legend Tupac Shakur, are asking for a delay in next month’s trial. They argue that more time is needed for investigative work to ensure he gets a fair trial.
In a motion filed Friday in a Nevada court, Davis’ defense team reveals some new details. A private investigator has reportedly found witnesses who can testify that Davis wasn’t at the scene of the 1996 shooting and wasn’t even in Las Vegas at the time. The defense also suggests that someone else might have been behind the shooting and that they’re in the process of interviewing witnesses who could speak on that.
The defense explained that these new developments, along with the need to speak to key witnesses, make it necessary to push back the trial. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday to discuss the trial’s timing, which is currently set for March.
“This case involves decades-old allegations, and with every new piece of evidence, it becomes increasingly clear that critical facts have yet to be fully examined,” said Carl Arnold, the attorney leading Davis’ defense.
On the night of September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was riding in a BMW with Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight when they were shot at by someone in a white Cadillac while stopped at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip.
Davis, a former gang leader, has been charged with orchestrating the killing of Shakur and has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. He’s been in jail since his arrest in September 2023. Though he was one of four suspects originally identified in the investigation, he’s the only one facing charges.
Arnold argues that Davis never should have been charged, citing immunity agreements he says Davis made with federal and local prosecutors when he was living in California. Prosecutors counter that any immunity would have been limited and maintain they have strong evidence against Davis, including his own statements in his memoir, Compton Street Legend. In the book and in interviews, Davis has admitted to providing the gun used in the shooting and being in the car during the drive-by. However, his defense team argues that his recent statements about orchestrating the shooting were made for “entertainment purposes” and to profit from the story.
The defense is also pushing a theory that Shakur may have been in stable condition after the shooting and that he died suddenly a week later in the hospital. They’re consulting with medical and forensic experts to explore possible alternative causes of death.
