Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the former gang leader convicted of orchestrating the 1996 murder of American rap legend Tupac Shakur, has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.
Davis, 63, was sentenced on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, by a court in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, following his conviction for first-degree murder in August.
The sentence brings a major development in one of the most notorious unsolved cases in hip-hop history, nearly 30 years after Shakur was fatally shot at the age of 25.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Carli Kierny said Davis could not simply move on from his actions, stressing the loss suffered by Shakur’s family and the future the rapper never got to fulfil.
“You don’t get to take a man from his family,” the judge said, adding that the world had never forgotten Shakur or his death.
Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips street gang, was convicted over his role in the shooting that occurred on September 7, 1996, after an altercation involving Shakur’s entourage and Davis’s nephew, Orlando Anderson, at the MGM Grand casino in Las Vegas.
Prosecutors said Davis helped organise the attack after the confrontation. According to evidence presented during the trial, he was in a white Cadillac with three other men when the vehicle pulled alongside the car carrying Shakur and Death Row Records executive Marion “Suge” Knight.
Davis had previously described his involvement in media interviews and his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend. Prosecutors relied heavily on his public statements and accounts of the incident during the trial.
The defence challenged the reliability of Davis’s earlier accounts, arguing that aspects of his statements had been exaggerated. However, the jury found him guilty.
Davis was not identified as the person who fired the fatal shots, and authorities have not conclusively established publicly who pulled the trigger. He remains the only person charged and convicted in connection with Shakur’s murder.
During Tuesday’s hearing, members of Shakur’s family addressed the court and reflected on the lasting impact of his death. His sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, spoke about the rapper’s life, values and the loss experienced by those closest to him.
Davis briefly addressed the court, requesting the return of property seized during the investigation. When asked whether he had anything further to say, he indicated that he intended to appeal the case.
Shakur, widely regarded as one of hip-hop’s most influential artists, was shot in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996, while travelling with Knight. He died in hospital six days later.
His death remained unresolved for decades, fuelling speculation and numerous investigations before Davis’s arrest in 2023.
The sentencing marks a significant milestone in the case, although questions surrounding the identity of the gunman remain unresolved.
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