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Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis Found Guilty of Orchestrating Tupac Shakur’s Murder After 30 Years
Nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been convicted in connection with the rapper’s murder.
On 31 August, a Las Vegas jury found Davis guilty of first-degree murder in Shakur’s 1996 killing. Davis, 63, is the only person to have been charged in the case and is now the first to be convicted. Prosecutors did not accuse him of pulling the trigger. They argued that he helped organise the attack, obtained the firearm and handed it to those who carried out the shooting.
Photo: Marcus/REUTERS
The verdict followed less than three hours of jury deliberations after a weeks-long trial. Davis had pleaded not guilty. His defence argued that he had exaggerated or fabricated parts of his accounts over the years, particularly when discussing the killing publicly and promoting his memoir, Compton Street Legend. His lawyers also questioned the lack of independent evidence placing him in the Cadillac from which the shots were fired.
The events that led to the shooting began earlier that evening. Shakur was in Las Vegas with Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight for Mike Tyson’s fight against Bruce Seldon at the MGM Grand. After the fight, Shakur and members of his entourage confronted Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, Davis’ nephew and a member of the South Side Compton Crips. Anderson was beaten during the confrontation.
Photo: REUTERS
Prosecutors said the incident prompted a retaliation against Shakur and Knight. They argued that Davis and other gang members went looking for them after the fight.
Later that night, Shakur was sitting in the passenger seat of a BMW driven by Knight when a white Cadillac pulled alongside them at a red light. Someone inside the Cadillac opened fire. Shakur was hit four times, while Knight was also wounded.
Shakur was taken to hospital and died six days later, on 13 September 1996. He was 25.
Photo: REUTERS
A key part of the prosecution’s case was Davis’ own public account of the killing. He had discussed the shooting for years before his arrest in 2023, giving investigators, filmmakers and journalists accounts of what happened. Prosecutors argued that his statements amounted to admissions that he had helped organise the retaliation and supplied the gun.
Davis’ lawyers disputed that interpretation. They argued that his accounts had changed over time and that he had exaggerated his involvement for attention and financial gain. The defence also challenged the prosecution’s reliance on Davis’ statements and argued that they were not enough to prove he was responsible for the murder.
Photo: AP
The case had remained unresolved for decades, during which Shakur’s death became the subject of numerous theories. Some centred on the rivalry between Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records, while others suggested involvement by figures in the music industry. None of those theories resulted in criminal charges against the people they implicated.
Davis’ conviction is based on the evidence presented at trial and does not establish the wider theories that have circulated about Shakur’s death. Prosecutors argued specifically that the shooting was retaliation for the confrontation involving Anderson and that Davis helped arrange the attack.
The conviction also does not identify a convicted shooter. Anderson, whom prosecutors have identified as the person who fired the shots, was killed in Compton in 1998. The other men prosecutors alleged were involved have also died.
Photo: REUTERS
Davis remains in custody and faces a possible life sentence. His lawyer has said he plans to appeal. He is due to be sentenced on 13 October.
Shakur’s family reacted in court after the verdict. His sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, cried and embraced members of the prosecution team.
The conviction marks the first time someone has been held criminally responsible for Shakur’s death. For a case that remained open for almost three decades, the verdict finally establishes a legal finding against one of the people prosecutors said helped organise the attack.
More than three decades after the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, there are questions about whether O.J. Simpson received help while trying to dispose of evidence. Sam Ippolito, the brother of Simpson associate Joseph “Joey” Ippolito, claims Joey came back to their apartment on the night of the murders with blood on his hands and a heavy bag.
The allegations emerged in an investigation by The New York Times published on October 18, 2026. The newspaper checked previously sealed federal court records and spoke with people involved in the case. However, the claims remain unproven, and Sam later attempted to withdraw his account.
Photo: Getty Images
According to Sam’s initial account, Joey left the apartment on the evening of June 12, 1994, saying he was going to help a friend. He returned around midnight carrying a bag containing what Sam described as a heavy object.
Sam alleged that his brother appeared to have blood on his hands, removed his clothes and placed them inside the bag before asking him to dispose of it. Sam said he threw the bag into a dumpster near a construction site along Doheny Drive in Los Angeles. The contents were never independently confirmed.
Sam also claimed he overheard Joey speaking with Al Cowlings, Simpson’s longtime friend, about helping Simpson that night. These allegations have caused speculation about whether another person helped Simpson while disposing evidence.
Photo: Getty Images
Joey Ippolito was a convicted drug trafficker with connections to organised crime. He knew Simpson through Cowlings, who drove Simpson’s white Ford Bronco.
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Joey had escaped from a Florida prison in May 1994. Authorities arrested him in August 1995, and he subsequently became a federal informant.
New court records revealed that Joey provided information relevant to the Simpson investigation, including details concerning the alleged disposal of the murder weapon. The weapon was never recovered.
A December 1996 federal prosecution memorandum described Joey as a valuable source of information. However, he was never called to testify at the trial. Former federal prosecutor David Kelley, who worked with Joey, said he did not believe Joey was involved in the murders. Former lead prosecutor Marcia Clark also said she had not known about Joey and questioned whether the allegations would have been credible enough to reach her.
Photo: Getty Images
Sam’s credibility is also an issue. According to the newspaper’s , he sought payment for his story and later tried to retract his allegations after the newspaper declined. He said he could no longer distinguish between his memories and confusion surrounding the events.
Retired Los Angeles Police Department detective Tom Lange also rejected the accomplice theory. He believes there was no evidence connecting Joey to the killings. The Los Angeles Police Department has confirmed that the case remains open and that investigators will examine new leads.
The latest allegations have reopened questions about the missing murder weapon and the handling of evidence. However, the claims against Joey remain unverified, and the available information does not establish that he helped Simpson conceal evidence or took part in the killings.
Taylor Swift returned to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, October 18, to support Travis Kelce as the Kansas City Chiefs faced the Los Angeles Chargers. The singer watched from a suite alongside WNBA star Caitlin Clark and musician Este Haim, with the group cheering on Kelce during Kansas City’s 22-6 victory.
Swift wore a red turtleneck and matching lipstick in support of the Chiefs. Her blonde hair was styled in soft waves, and she was seen following the action from the suite with Clark and Haim.
Photo: Getty Images
Clark, who plays for the Indiana Fever, is a longtime Chiefs fan. Growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, she followed Kansas City partly because of her father’s support for the team. She previously joined Swift at Arrowhead Stadium in January 2025, when the Chiefs faced the Houston Texans in the NFL play-offs. The two celebrated as Kansas City secured a place in the next round.
Sunday’s game also brought a family reunion of sorts. Swift was photographed embracing Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce, in the suite, where Clark and Haim were also watching the match. Swift has attended several Chiefs home games this season as she continues to support her husband.
Her appearance in Kansas City followed a busy Saturday in Los Angeles. Swift attended the Academy Museum Gala on October 17, where she wore a Dior gown before performing for guests. The event honoured filmmaker John Carpenter, actor Colman Domingo and actress Charlize Theron.
Photo: Getty Images
The trip marked a return to the Chiefs’ stands after Swift’s previous appearance at their September 20 game against the Indianapolis Colts. She had also attended the team’s season opener against the Denver Broncos on September 14. Sunday’s win over the Chargers extended Kansas City’s successful run at home.
For Clark, the game offered another chance to watch a team she has supported since childhood. For Swift, it was an opportunity to cheer on Kelce after a high-profile evening in Los Angeles. The singer’s appearance with Clark and Haim brought together friends from music and sport for an afternoon of NFL action.
Selena Gomez has spoken about the effect of nicotine vaping on her voice, revealing that the habit became difficult to quit and may have caused lasting changes to the way she sounds. The singer and actress also used the opportunity to warn others against taking up vaping, describing her experience as a regret.
Photo: Getty images
In an Instagram Stories video shared on October 18, Gomez admitted that she had vaped nicotine extensively. Reflecting on the consequences, she suggested that her voice had changed in a way she might not be able to reverse. Her comments offered a glimpse into the personal cost of a habit she had struggled to leave behind.
Gomez also acknowledged how challenging nicotine dependence can be. Although she did not go into detail about how long she had been trying to quit, she said she had stopped vaping and hoped to continue.
During an Instagram Live in December 2025, Gomez spoke about changes in her voice, revealing that her throat sometimes swells internally.
Photo: Getty images
Gomez was diagnosed with lupus in 2015 and underwent a kidney transplant two years later after complications from the disease. Her close friend Francia Raisa donated the kidney. Lupus can also cause inflammation that affects the voice box, potentially leading to hoarseness or changes in voice quality.
Although Gomez suspects vaping contributed to her vocal changes, the cause has not been medically confirmed.
Gomez has said she hopes to remain vape-free, though it is not yet known whether her voice will return to its previous state.
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