A Las Vegas judge shot down Duane “Keefe D” Davis’s attempt to throw out key evidence in the Tupac Shakur murder case.
Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny denied the motion on Tuesday. Davis wanted cops to toss the evidence they grabbed during a July 2023 nighttime raid of his Henderson home.
The 62-year-old former Crip faces murder charges for orchestrating Tupac’s 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas when they raided his house after midnight.
“When officers obtain nighttime authorization through bad faith, courts agree suppression is appropriate,” the motion stated. “Bad faith is evident from the face of the affidavit supporting the search warrant.”
Draskovich said police made Davis sound like a threat. They mentioned his old drug convictions from 25 years ago. They also brought up a gun arrest from eight years earlier that never led to charges.
The defense painted a different picture. Davis was a retired grandfather and cancer survivor living quietly with his wife. He had worked as an oil refinery inspector for a decade after leaving the drug game in 2008.
“The image presented to secure the warrant bore little resemblance to reality,” his lawyers argued.
Police Detective Clifford Mogg wrote in the search warrant that darkness would help officers surround the house safely. He said if Davis tried to barricade himself inside, the cover of night would let cops evacuate neighbors with less risk.
Davis’ team called that reasoning backwards. They said neighbors were more likely to be home at night, making the search more dangerous.
Davis became a target after years of public confessions about Tupac’s killing. In his memoir, he wrote detailed accounts of the September 7, 1996, shooting that killed the rap legend.
“I know the real story,” he wrote in the book. The former Southside Compton Crips shot caller admitted he was in the white Cadillac when someone fired the fatal shots.
Davis previously told cops in 2008 and 2009 interviews that he orchestrated the hit. He claimed his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, pulled the trigger after Tupac and Death Row Records associates jumped Anderson at the MGM Grand earlier that night.
The murder case sat cold for decades until Davis started talking publicly. His admissions in interviews, documentaries and his book gave prosecutors the evidence they needed to file charges in September 2023.
Davis has repeatedly alleged that Sean “Diddy” Combs put a bounty on Tupac’s and Suge Knight’s heads. In FBI interviews, he claimed that Diddy offered $1 million for the hit through an intermediary, Eric “Von Zip” Martin.
He said Von Zip was supposed to deliver the money after Tupac’s killing, but kept it instead of paying the Crips who carried out the attack. Diddy has denied any involvement in Tupac’s murder.
Davis’ defense team insists his confessions were pure showmanship meant to generate profit. They compared the public’s fixation on Tupac’s death to the JFK assassination, arguing someone might falsely place himself at the center for personal gain.
The evidence suppression loss deals a major blow to Davis’ defense strategy. His lawyers had hoped to exclude the items seized from his home, including his book and electronic devices that could contain incriminating information.
Without those key pieces of evidence thrown out, prosecutors can use Davis’ own words against him at trial. His memoir and recorded interviews form the backbone of the state’s case.
Davis remains locked up at the Clark County Detention Center without bail. He was also hit with 16 to 40 months for a jailhouse fight last spring, where he beat up another inmate.
The murder trial is scheduled for August 10, 2026.
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