Key facts
- Duane "Keffe D" Davis is on trial for the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur.
- Davis has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
- His defense attorney's strategy is to tell jurors not to believe Davis' own incriminating statements.
- The defense suggests Davis may have fabricated his admissions to boost sales of his memoir.
- Police identified Davis as the "mastermind" who obtained the weapon used in the killing.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, an ex-gang leader accused of orchestrating the 1996 drive-by killing of Tupac Shakur, has pleaded not guilty. Police arrested Davis 27 years after the shooting, citing his own admissions in media interviews and a 2019 book as key evidence. In a surprising move, Davis's defense attorney, Michael Sanft, urged jurors in his opening statement not to take his client's statements seriously, even displaying the word "BULLSHIT" on a slide.
Legal experts suggest this strategy, which involves attacking the credibility of one's own client, is Davis's best and perhaps only defense. Catherine Christian, a defense lawyer and former prosecutor, noted that such tactics are sometimes employed against "clout-chasing" defendants and that the jury might believe Davis fabricated his story to sell his memoir, "Compton Street Legend."
Davis wrote in his book that he sought revenge after Shakur and associates, including Marion “Suge” Knight, assaulted his nephew. He claimed he was riding in a Cadillac with the assailants and handed the gun to the men in the back seat, one of whom fired the fatal shots. Police identified Davis as the "mastermind" who procured the weapon, and Nevada law allows him to be charged with murder as an accomplice.
Sanft implored jurors to question the sufficiency of evidence from both the prosecution and Davis himself. The burden of proof rests with the prosecution to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. While testifying could allow Davis to explain his shifting narrative, it would expose him to intense cross-examination. The trial is expected to last up to six weeks, with Shakur's relatives hoping for closure.