Jurors hear Duane Davis tell officers about role in Tupac murder

Davis, 63, has given conflicting statements over the years about the Sept. 7, 1996, shooting of rapper Tupac Shakur.LAS VEGAS (CN) — Duane “Keffe D” Davis, facing a murder charge in connection with the 1996 shooting death of Tupac Shakur, described in an audio recording about handing the pistol used in the killing to another man in his car.Moments later, someone shot the world-renowned rapper. Davis, 63, said he and his companions then returned to their Las Vegas hotel to smoke cannabis and drink.Jurors heard on Thursday the recorded interview authorities took almost 20 years ago. Prosecutors have claimed street gang rivalry between the South Side Compton Crips and Mob Piru fueled the shooting. Davis’ defense attorney has argued his client was known to embellish stories, adding the district attorney couldn’t prove Davis was in Las Vegas at the time.Davis has pleaded not guilty.In the recording, Davis claimed Sean “Puffy” Combs offered $1 million to kill Shakur. Combs, currently incarcerated on prostitution-related charges, faces no accusations in connection with Shakur’s death. He has denied Davis’ claims.“So, Orlando shot him across Dre?” an unnamed man asked Davis in the interview.“He leaned over on the window, he rolled down the window, popped,” Davis answered.Authorities have said four people were in the car the night of Sept. 7, 1996: Davis, his nephew Orlando Anderson, Terrence “Bubble Up” Brown and Deandrae “Dre” Smith. Davis handed the gun, secured in a hidden compartment in the vehicle, to Smith, who then gave it to Anderson.Davis is the only person still living who was in the vehicle.About two hours earlier, a group of men — one of whom was identified during testimony as Shakur — attacked Anderson in the MGM Grand. Witnesses have said it was the latest skirmish, stemming from Anderson pulling a Death Row Records necklace from a man’s neck during a fight at a California mall.Testifying Thursday, Denvonta Lee said Mob Piru was affiliated with Death Row Records, whose CEO was Marion “Suge” Knight, while the Crips were linked to Bad Boy Records, founded by Combs.In the interview, Davis claimed Combs had made a handful of comments about killing Shakur and Marion.“We wanted $1 million,” Davis told the officers in the interview.Davis said he was in Las Vegas at the time and learned Shakur and Knight would be at Club 662. They waited some 20 minutes for them to arrive, then opted to buy liquor when they didn’t.At some point, while in a white Cadillac, they spotted Shakur. They made a U-turn and began checking vehicles.“So, what directed your attention to them?” an unnamed man asked. “Was some girl shouting at Tupac?”“Tupac, he gave himself away,” Davis said. “Otherwise, they woulda got away.”Davis then passed the gun to the backseat. After the shooting, they gathered at a Las Vegas Strip hotel, returning to Compton, California, the next day.“Y’all think I’m bullshitting,” Davis said.Shakur died six days after the shooting. Struck in the head, Knight survived.Davis said he never learned what happened to the gun. He also never received payment.The recording heard by jurors is similar to what Davis wrote in his 2019 book, “Compton Street Legend.” However, he’s given conflicting statements over the years.In 1998, Davis initially denied responsibility when talking to the FBI. The following year, he told the FBI he was in Las Vegas, angry about his nephew’s beating, but had no role in the shooting, Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal said.Then, in a secretly recorded conversation with authorities in 2008, Davis said he had a role in the shooting. The prosecutor told jurors that similar statements appeared in his book.Representing Davis, attorney Michael Sanft tried to have some of his client’s statements withheld from jurors, though Clark County District Judge Carli Kierny allowed the jury to hear them.“What is said right here cannot be used against you,” an officer told Davis in the recording.“We told you that nothing leaves this room,” another said.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads