Key facts
- Duane 'Keffe D' Davis is accused of orchestrating the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur.
- Jurors heard a 2008 recording where Davis claimed his nephew, Orlando 'Baby Lane' Anderson, fired the fatal shots.
- Davis stated he was in the car with Anderson during the drive-by shooting.
- Prosecutors plan to use Davis' admissions from interviews and a memoir as key evidence.
- The defense argues Davis' statements are unreliable and uncorroborated.
Jurors in the murder trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis heard audio recordings and transcripts on Thursday where Davis implicated his nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, in the 1996 shooting death of Tupac Shakur. Davis, accused of orchestrating the killing, stated in a 2008 interview that he was in the car with Anderson when the shots were fired. The defense, however, is urging jurors to disregard Davis' admissions, arguing that his statements are unreliable and that investigators failed to corroborate them with evidence. His lawyer has suggested Davis may have fabricated parts of his involvement to boost sales of his memoir.
Prosecutors contend that Davis' repeated admissions to authorities and in public forums, including interviews and his memoir "Compton Street Legend," nullify any prior agreements he may have had with law enforcement. They allege the shooting was retaliation for an earlier assault by Shakur's entourage on Anderson. Davis has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his defense has characterized the prosecution's narrative as "fiction."