Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis who was one of the four suspects in the fatal September 1996 drive-by shooting of US rapper Tupac Shakur was arrested and charged with murder on Friday.
Davis, now 60, is not accused of shooting the rapper but was identified as the group's ringleader who prosecutors say ordered the killing. He reportedly plotted the shooting after his nephew was involved in a fight with Shakur at a casino.
Who is Duane Keith 'Keffe D' Davis?
Davis is one of the last living individuals who conspired to kill Shakur. He was arrested during a walk near his home in Las Vegas. The arrest came hours before prosecutors announced in court that a Nevada grand jury had indicted him on one count of murder with a deadly weapon.
“Duane Davis was the shot caller for this group of individuals that committed this crime and he orchestrated the plan that was carried out,” AP quoted police homicide Lt. Jason Johansson as saying.
Davis's home was raided in July
The investigation was revived based on Davis' public comments, according to authorities. In mid-July, Las Vegas police raided Davis' home in Henderson to recover items linked to Shakur's murder.
Police reportedly seized computers, a cellphone, a hard drive, a Vibe magazine that featured Shakur, .40-caliber bullets, photographs and a copy of Davis' memoir from the house.
In his 2019 tell-all memoir, Compton Street Legend, Davis admitted that he provided the gun used in the drive-by shooting. He confessed the same in many interviews too.
Awaiting justice for 27 years
Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said Shakur has been awaiting justice for the past 27 years, adding that “While I know there's been many people who did not believe that the murder of Tupac Shakur was important to this police department, I'm here to tell you that is simply not the case.”
Prosecutors said they have been in contact with the rapper's family, who are “pleased” with this news. A six-time Grammy nominee, Shakur is among the most influential rappers of all time.
What happened on Sept 7, 1996?
On the night of September 7, 1996, Shakur was waiting at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip in BMW driven by Death Row Records founder Marion Suge Knight, when some men in a white Cadillac started firing at them.
Shakur, 25, died a week later at hospital. Knight who had only minor injuries is serving a 28-year sentence in a California prison for an unrelated voluntary manslaughter charge.
