Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the sole individual charged in the 1996 drive-by shooting that claimed the life of Hip-Hop legend Tupac Shakur, failed in his effort to have the murder case dismissed.
A Las Vegas judge ruled on Tuesday (January 21) that claims of immunity made by Davis were unsupported, clearing the way for the controversial case to proceed.
Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny rejected Davis’ argument that an immunity deal he reportedly struck in a 2009 police interview barred prosecutors from charging him.
The judge stated there was no verifiable proof such an agreement existed, keeping the first-degree murder charge against Davis intact.
Davis, now 60, remains detained in Las Vegas and has pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled for March 17, 2025, though potential appeals could push back the date.
Prosecutors argue they have compelling evidence tying Davis to Shakur’s murder, including admissions he made in his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend.”
In the book, Davis wrote about his role on the night of the shooting, claiming he was in the white Cadillac from which bullets were sprayed toward Shakur and that he provided the .40-caliber handgun used in the attack to his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson.
Anderson, a now-deceased Southside Crips gang member, was identified as a key figure in the killing.
The fatal confrontation came shortly after a tense altercation inside a casino between Shakur and Anderson, a moment captured on surveillance footage.
Hours later, at the intersection of East Flamingo Road and Koval Lane, a car carrying Shakur and Death Row Records CEO Marion “Suge” Knight was ambushed. Shakur was hit by four bullets and died six days later in the hospital.
His death has been clouded by dead ends, conspiracy theories, and the untimely demises of other suspects, including Anderson.
For decades, Davis was a central figure in rumors surrounding the shooting, fueled by his own interviews where he openly discussed his role in the tragic events.
Tupac was central in the feud between Death Row Records and its New York-based counterpart, Bad Boy Records.
Tupac had a known beef with Bad Boy Records executives Sean “Diddy” Combs and the late Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace that was sparked after he was shot at Quad Studios in Manhattan in 1994.
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