I’ve looked Tupac Shakur’s ‘killer’ dead in the eye – here’s why his murder trial is set to be bigger than OJ Simpson’s

I’VE reported on Tupac Shakur’s infamous murder for the past decade but nothing prepared me for when I came face to face with his self confessed killer and “Godfather Of Compton.” Sitting in court room 12B at the 8th Judicial District Court of Clark County Court in Las Vegas, murder suspect Duane “Keefe D” Davis glared furiously at me in the public area. Duane ‘Keefe D’ Davis is set to stand trial for Tupac’s murder Credit: Getty Tupac was fatally shot in September 1996 Credit: Getty Davis appears at Clark County District Court in Las Vegas Credit: Getty It was October 4 2023 and Davis was in court accused of the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, who died on September 13, 1996, aged just 25, after a Las Vegas drive-by shooting. The murder has remained unsolved for thirty years – but this could soon change, with Davis landing himself in court after allegedly confessing to the crime. And as I looked at him across the courtroom with no physical barrier between us, I genuinely wondered whether he was ready to leap out of the defendants’ area, he looked so angry. Aggrieved that the media had reported on his multiple confessions of being the “shot caller” for Tupac’s death, he seemed ready to deliver the “beating” he had famously boasted about in his memoir and to friends for years. Thankfully, a team of well trained court security and police officers – along with his leg shackles and handcuffs – seemed to deter his rage from spilling over. Davis’ screwed-up facial fury has never waned. Even in the most recent court hearing in July, he locked eyes with me with a stare appearing to be be livid at simply reporting his own boasts and taped admissions to police officers. Over several court hearings, Davis’ loathing of authority have seen him lash out verbally with nonsensical rants at prosecutors, scream about unfounded claims of police brutality and then accuse media of stopping him obtaining bail. In recent weeks with new lawyer Mike Sanft in his corner, Davis’ temper has cooled. His previous lawyer Carl Arnold described him as a doting grandfather, who’s happiest tending to roses in his garden, having left his criminal past behind. It was a far cry from how Davis’ own boasts of the last decade – where he has claimed in media interviews, his memoir Compton Street Legend, and even in police interviews – that he was the key man in the assassination. Now starting on August 10, a jury will have to decide if Davis’ should spend his life in prison for being the “shot caller” overseeing Compton Crips hunting Tupac and firing the deadly gun on September 7 1996. Davis has pled not guilty to the crime – claiming that he invented every confession for “fame and fortune” and that his lies “are his first amendment right”. Tupac died in hospital a few days after the shooting – at the height of his hip hop career Credit: AP The last known photo of Tupac and Suge Knight taken the night of the murder Credit: Tupac Shakur/Century Davis was arrested in September 2023 Credit: EPA According to his new lawyer, Davis will not give evidence to the jury and judge Carli Kierny. Sanft insists that prosecutors have no firm proof that Davis was even in Vegas on the night of the killing, as no murder weapon, vehicle connected to the crime or ballistics linked to Davis have been found. Since his criminal case begin in September, I have looked into the eyes of Davis, watched him make angry outbursts in court and seethe at prosecutors and glare angrily at media for reporting his wacky behaviour. Davis is clearly aggrieved that he was arrested – despite his confessions – and livid that he has been in remand for nearly three years. His initial reaction when he was arrested in 2023 was far cockier, insisting: “I don’t give a s***””, even telling a Metro police officer that this criminal matter is the “biggest case in Las Vegas history”, However his gangster OG swagger initially disappeared as he turned into a dejected forlorn figure, who raged as prosecutors outlined his case during many hearings. At times he sunk into his chair, clearly angry at his then-attorney Carl Arnold and appearing to mouth verbal profanities at prosecutors, Marc DiGiacomo and Binu Palal. During an August 2024 hearing Davis hit breaking point, talking over Arnold and shouting at the judge that he feared dying after alleging he was beaten up in his cell. In an extraordinary moment, he alleged that two correction officers injured him in his cell and that the district attorneys somehow orchestrated the attack. The vein on the left side of his bald scalp visibly swelled and his forehead had beads of sweat rolling while he glared venomously at Palal and DiGiacomo. His claims went unproven. Davis has claimed Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs ordered the hit on Tupac – a claim Combs has always denied Credit: Getty Suge remains the only living witness to the shooting Credit: Getty Former detective Greg Kading is expected to be a witness for the prosecution Credit: JDMC After failing to convince a judge the source of his $750k bail money was legitimate, Davis stared angrily at me and other local media members in the public area claiming “these motherf*****s” were responsible for his time behind bars. Adding to Davis’ criminal woes, former friends have shared some brutal truths including: “that guy is just stupid” and “he still takes no responsibility for admitting to this crime and finding himself up for murder.” Another source served up this damning insight: “Davis is a f*****g moron. “Nobody from law enforcement was interested in him until he started going on TV, YouTube and doing a book boasting about what a badass and gangster he is. I got no sympathy for that dumb mofo.” Davis gave two interviews on tape to both LAPD and Las Vegas Metro Police admitting the crime in 2008 and 2009. In those interviews, Davis claimed he and three Southside Crips associates Terrence “Bubble Up” Brown (driver), Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson and DeAndre “Dre” Smith, went hunting for Tupac. They were out for “revenge” after Tupac beat up Anderson in the MGM Casino earlier following a Mike Tyson fight. Davis said nephew Anderson fired the lethal rounds from their white rented Cadillac at a red light junction of East Flamingo and Koval Lane. Tupac was taken to UMC clinic in a coma, with fatal gunshot wounds in his torso, lungs and groin, and passed away six days later. On the tapes, Davis named Sean “Diddy” Combs, currently serving a four year sentence for sex trafficking, as one of the motivating factors behind his killing. Combs was dragged in the case, because Davis claimed to police twice that the rapper offered him $1million to take out Tupac and Knight. Combs has always vehemently denied any involvement in the Ghetto Gospel artist’s death, which now aids Davis’s case. The black cadillac Tupac and Suge were in on the night of the shooting Credit: JDMC Davis says his nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson – now dead – fired the gun at Tupac Credit: JDMC Terrence ‘Bubble Up’ Brown – also dead – was the driver Credit: JDMC Combs’ long term rival – Death Row Records and Dr Dre’s ex boss Suge Knight – drove Tupac in his BMW. For three decades Knight, who is serving a lengthy sentence for murder, has told multiple differing stories about the crime to media outlets. However he has never appeared under oath in a courtroom to detail what – and more importantly who – he saw that night. Both the prosecution and defence have considered Knight’s testimony given he is the only living direct eyewitness, aside from Davis, to the crime – following Brown, Anderson and Smith’s deaths. Knight has made extraordinary conflicting comments in recent years citing that Davis “is innocent”, Anderson never fired at him and even that Tupac is alive living in Cuba. In a recent podcast Knight promised to beat up Davis in person over efforts to have him appear in this case. It’s uncertain if he will be called up as a witness – or by which side. TV cameras are expected to capture the fate of Davis, who faces life in prison if found guilty for his role in the murder of Shakur, as in Vegas being an accessory to a murder carries the same punishment as the perpetrator. In three years, Davis’ legal strategy has been nothing short of extraordinary. His defense, explained through several different lawyers, is effectively: “I am a liar – don’t believe what I said about Tupac…but believe me now.” In unusual interactions, Davis’ former lawyer Carl Arnold detailed his successful criminal enterprises, including a multi million dollar West Coast narcotics network and deals with the Colombian cartel – but says he was not in Vegas the night of the murder. Davis said another Southside Crip DeAndre “Dre” Smith, now deceased, was also in the car that went hunting for Pac Credit: JDMC Mob James – a former bodyguard to Snoop Dogg and Tupac – says he saw Davis in Vegas on the night of the shooting Credit: JDMC Davis’ memoir Compton Street Legend Credit: JDMC The murder trial is set to include a wild cast of world famous witnesses and key figures. Mob James – a once feared Compton gang enforcer and bodyguard of Snoop Dogg and Tupac who now counsels kids to steer clear of gang life, says he saw Davis outside of a nightclub close to the murder site. Reggie Wright Junior is another well known figure from 1990s hip hop scene given he was the ex head of security for Death Row Records. Famous street king and Southside Crip drug dealer Dirt Rock, real name Devonta Lee, will offer bombshell insight into the night of the killing. Lee was a roommate of the late Smith, who he claims boasted about murdering Tupac, with Anderson. Respected Los Angeles retired detective Greg Kading will appear as a witness given his intel led to Davis volunteering to confess to the murder. Kading, who has won a Medal of Valor, spent three years digging into Tupac and Biggie Smalls’ murders, later penning a successful book on his probe called Murder Rap. Another potential witness is acclaimed TV producer Mike Dorsey – owner of the popular true crime YouTube channel The Murder Rap, which focuses on the Tupac and Biggie homicide cases. Retired Vegas police officer Chris Carroll is likely to be called to confirm holding Tupac moments before he slipped into a coma following the shooting. The rapper’s famous last words to Carroll were “f*** you” when asked who committed the crime. Tupac, Davis, Suge and Diddy have many star connections too from their past. Ex girlfriends and close female pals of these men included J-Lo, Madonna, Cameron Diaz and Yung Miami and Lil Kim. Other stars in their orbit included Snoop Dogg, Dre Dre, Easy E, Vanilla Ice and Jewell. Rap and hip hop historian Dorsey acknowledged this case as the “craziest celebrity trial in US history”. Dorsey said: “You start with an icon like Tupac and what was arguably the most famous unsolved murder in history until an arrest was made in 2023. “Then you add a potential Diddy connection, considering all the legal issues and scandals he’s endured in recent years, plus a notorious figure like Suge Knight who’s serving a 28-year prison sentence for voluntary manslaughter. “Combine that with Davis D, who has publicly admitted his role in this homicide multiple times; you’re going to have a string of interesting characters appearing as witnesses including former gang members and gang cops. “I agree with one of Davis’ former attorneys: this case is bigger than the OJ Simpson trial.”