Tupac Murder Trial Update: Defendant Calls Out Prosecutor's Remark in Court
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis, the man accused of killing rapper Tupac Shakur, challenged comments from the prosecution during a court hearing on Tuesday.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo said the jurors in Davis' battery trial did not know who he was, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
"Yes, they did," Davis said.
Newsweek reached out to the Clark County District Attorney's Office and Carl Arnold, Davis' attorney, for comment.
Davis was convicted on counts of battery by a prisoner and challenging someone to a fight in April after an altercation with another inmate.
Davis is scheduled to go to trial for a murder charge related to Shakur's killing in February 2026. Arnold and Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal indicated during today's hearing that they would be ready to start the trial at that time.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis appears for a hearing related to his indictment in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, February 18, 2025 at District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis appears for a hearing related to his indictment in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, February 18, 2025 at District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Photo by John Locher-Pool/Getty Images
Why It Matters
The murder of Shakur has remained one of American pop culture's most enduring and scrutinized mysteries. Shakur, widely known as 2Pac, died at age 25 after being shot in a drive-by attack near the Las Vegas Strip on September 7, 1996. He succumbed to his injuries six days later. The case remained open and unresolved for nearly three decades despite intense public speculation, documentary coverage, and various conspiracy theories about what really happened that night.
What To Know
In September 2023, Las Vegas police arrested Davis, an alleged former gang leader from Compton, California. In his 2019 memoir, Davis claimed he was inside the car where the shots were fired from and described acquiring a .40-caliber handgun and handing it to his nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson. Authorities and Davis himself claimed the shots that killed Shakur came from this vehicle.
Davis and his attorney have argued that he should not have been charged due to immunity agreements he claimed were made with federal and local authorities years ago. His attorneys characterized the indictment and 27-year delay in prosecution as a violation of constitutional rights. However, Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny stated that "the state of Nevada has never offered" Davis such a deal. Davis' attempt earlier this year to dismiss the case was unsuccessful.
Prosecutors have described the evidence against Davis as compelling, including the detailed accounts in his book.
The 1996 shooting allegedly followed a casino altercation between Shakur and Anderson. Anderson, who had denied any involvement, was fatally shot in 1998. Other alleged accomplices are also deceased.
Davis has remained in custody since his arrest. An attempt by Arnold to get Davis released on house arrest was denied by Kierny last year. Kierny cited concerns about Davis and the person offering to pay his bail profiting off the sale of Davis' life story.
What People Are Saying
Arnold, in a statement to Newsweek last year after Davis was denied release: "We firmly believe there is a lack of substantive proof that Mr. Davis intended to profit from his alleged connections to the case."
Kierny, addressing Arnold at a hearing in July 2024: "It seems like your plan, your end goal here, is to make some kind of show for the press of this trial."
What Happens Next
Another hearing in the murder case is scheduled for September 9.
Davis is also challenging his convictions related to the altercation in jail. His attorney has requested a new trial, and a hearing has been set for July 2.
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Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump says former President Barack Obama "owes" him "big" after a Supreme Court ruling in 2024 on presidential immunity. Newsweek reached out to the office of Barack and Michelle Obama via online form Friday for comment. Why It Matters The president and former president have been in a public feud this week after Trump accused Obama and his team of committing "treason," alleging the former president manufactured intelligence regarding Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Obama's office responded to the accusation in a rare statement, saying in part, "Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes," Obama's spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush said. "These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio." The Supreme Court's ruling last year on presidential immunity has broadened the limits of legal protection for presidents, both sitting and former, in relation to their official acts. The decision has had immediate effects on ongoing legal cases involving Trump and has sparked debate about its far-reaching implications. What To Know When asked by a reporter if the Supreme Court ruling would benefit Obama and cover what Trump is accusing him of, the president responded, "It probably helps him a lot. Probably helps him a lot, the immunity ruling, but it doesn't help the people around him at all." The president added, "But it probably helps him a lot ... he's done criminal acts, no question about it. But he has immunity, and it probably helps him a lot." Trump then concluded by saying, "He owes me big, Obama owes me big." On July 1, 2024, the High Court ruled 6-3 that presidents enjoy absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for their "core" constitutional acts while in office. The ruling stemmed from criminal charges against Trump related to his actions during and following the 2020 presidential election. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that this immunity is essential for the executive branch's independence, and even former presidents are entitled to a presumption of immunity for official acts. President Donald Trump can be seen calling on a reporter during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Oval Office at the White House on July 22 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by... President Donald Trump can be seen calling on a reporter during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Oval Office at the White House on July 22 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by) More What People Are Saying Roberts, in the ruling: "It is these enduring principles that guide our decision in this case. The President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does is official. The President is not above the law. But Congress may not criminalize the President's conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the Executive Branch under the Constitution." Roberts continued: "And the system of separated powers designed by the Framers has always demanded an energetic, independent Executive. The President therefore may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled, at a minimum, to a presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts. That immunity applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office, regardless of politics, policy, or party." What Happens Next For future presidents of both parties, the immunity standard is likely to serve as binding precedent, making it harder to hold a president criminally liable for actions deemed official. Although Trump signaled that the ruling protects Obama, there is no current investigation that has been announced by the Department of Justice into Obama or his administration over actions during the 2016 election.
