The trial of Duane 'Keffe D' Davis for the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur nears its end with closing arguments set. Davis, who pleaded not guilty, faces a potential life sentence. The defence challenges his past confessions as being for money.
Davis, 63, is the only person to face prosecution in connection with Shakur's 1996 killing. He has pleaded not guilty to murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. If convicted, he could face life in prison, as per CBS News.
The jury is scheduled to return on Monday for closing arguments before starting its discussions on the verdict. The trial saw nine days of testimony, with the prosecution calling 24 witnesses. Davis did not testify during the trial.
Defence Presents Its Case
According to CBS News, his defence has argued that his past accounts of the shooting were made for money and attention and that investigators were unable to independently confirm important parts of his story. Retired Las Vegas homicide detective Dan Long was the final witness for the defence.
Key Witness Testimony
As per the news outlet, he told the court that he had tried to verify details Davis gave during a 2009 police interview but was unable to find records supporting some of the claims. Davis had told Long that his nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, went to a Las Vegas hospital after being involved in a casino fight with Shakur and others hours before the shooting. Long said he could not find hospital records showing that Anderson had been treated there, said CBS News.
Long also said he could not find records for a white Cadillac that Davis said had been rented before the shooting. When a juror asked whether he could independently confirm that Davis was inside the Cadillac on the night Shakur was killed, Long said Davis himself had told him he was in the car and that the shots came from the vehicle. According to the news outlet, during questioning by the defence, Long agreed that he had no independent evidence confirming Davis was inside the Cadillac.
Prosecution's Counter-Arguments
Prosecutors, however, argued that Davis' account was consistent with information investigators had already gathered. During cross-examination, Long said Davis named the same four people investigators already believed were inside the Cadillac when Shakur was shot, CBS News said. Long also told the court that after interviewing Davis in 2009, he returned to Las Vegas planning to seek a murder arrest warrant because he believed there was probable cause. Prosecutors at the time asked him to wait while they reviewed the case.
The defence also called two former Las Vegas police officers who had been assigned to maintain peace at Marion "Suge" Knight's home on the night of the shooting. They spoke about vehicles entering and leaving the gated property, including a cream- or white-coloured Cadillac.
Background of the 1996 Shooting
Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, while travelling in a BMW with Knight near the Las Vegas Strip. A white Cadillac pulled alongside the car at a red light before shots were fired. Shakur was hit several times and died six days later. Knight survived the attack.
Years after the shooting, Davis said he had obtained the gun used in the attack and that his nephew Anderson, who has since died, fired the shots. Prosecutors say Davis planned the killing in retaliation for the casino fight involving Anderson.
How the Case Was Revived
The case remained unsolved for decades before Davis' public interviews and his 2019 memoir brought fresh attention to the killing. Prosecutors have also relied on his previous interviews, memoir and recorded jail calls as part of their case. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)