A former gang member who had long bragged about his role in the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur 25 years ago pleaded not guilty in a US court on Thursday.
Despite not being the individual holding the weapon in the gang conflict in Las Vegas, Duane “Keefe D” Davis, aged 60, faced charges in September related to the killing.
At 60 years old, Davis, a former member of Compton’s South Side Crips gang, has openly admitted his role in the murder, claiming that he served as the “on-site commander” in the attempt to assassinate Shakur and Death Row Records head Marion “Suge” Knight. This act of revenge was in response to an assault on his nephew.
However, during a court hearing in Las Vegas, he refuted the charge of murder with a deadly weapon with the intention of promoting, facilitating, or abetting a criminal gang.
When District Judge Tierra Jones inquired about his plea, Davis replied with a “Not guilty.”
According to Nevada law, individuals who assist or abet a murder can face charges for the act of killing, much like how a getaway driver can be charged with bank robbery, even if they never entered the bank.
On Thursday, prosecutors announced that they would not pursue the death penalty in the event of Davis’s conviction.
“We talked about it, and I determined that it’s not a case in which we should seek the death penalty,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson as saying after the hearing.
Shakur, the best-selling hip-hop artist behind hits such as “California Love,” “Changes,” and “Dear Mama,” was a major star in the world of rap when he was gunned down on September 7, 1996. He was just 25.
At the age of 25, Shakur, the top-selling hip-hop artist responsible for chart-toppers like “California Love,” “Changes,” and “Dear Mama,” was a prominent figure in the rap world when he was fatally shot on September 7, 1996.
He was under contract with Death Row Records, a label that had ties to the Los Angeles street gang Mob Piru, known for its rivalry with the South Side Compton Crips.
Prosecutors indicated that the events of the night of the murder had been widely known for years, but they lacked enough legally acceptable evidence to proceed with the case shortly after Davis’s arrest.
The shift started when Davis, purportedly the sole surviving individual from the car on that fateful night, released an autobiography and discussed the crime on a television program.
Wolfson noted that Davis’s prior statements would be taken into account during the trial.
He acknowledged that the case had garnered international interest but emphasized that it would not influence its handling.
Wolfson stated, “The fact that the world is watching really doesn’t matter,” as reported by the Review-Journal.
“What we care about is presenting the evidence to a jury, so that the jury can make the ultimate decision.”