Jury begins deliberations in Tupac Shakur murder trial

Duane Davis says his own statements about his involvement in Shakur's 1996 shooting were fiction for the sake of protection and money. Prosecutors say Davis had no reason to lie about the murder when faced with his own charges.LAS VEGAS (CN) — Thirty years after his death, prosecutors in the trial over the murder of Tupac Shakur asked jurors on Monday to set aside Duane “Keffe D” Davis’ statements for a moment.In interviews and his book, Davis has claimed said he handed a gun to someone in the backseat of a Cadillac moments before the legendary rapper was shot. Davis’ defense attorney Michael Sanft argued his client wasn’t believable and the investigation into him suffered from corruption. Davis has pleaded not guilty.But Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal said they didn’t need to rely only on Davis’ statements to place him in Las Vegas the night someone shot Shakur and Death Row Records’ CEO Marion “Suge” Knight. Other evidence put the former South Side Compton Crips shot caller in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996.Delivering his closing argument, Palal ticked through a series of witnesses jurors have heard from over the past two weeks of trial. Multiple people testified about the rivalry between the Crips and Mob Piru. A skirmish at a California mall in 1996 spilled into Las Vegas, leading to a group of men — one of them identified as Shakur — attacking Orlando Anderson, Davis’ nephew, in the MGM Grand the night Shakur was shot.“And Duane Davis, in the culture of gangs, could not let that stand,” Palal said.Add to that the testimony of James McDonald, who worked security at Knight’s club that night.“’That night, we know who did it,’” Palal said, indicating Davis and Anderson as he echoed McDonald’s words. “And Mr. Sanft follows up, ‘For what?’ ‘For the murder of Tupac.’”Palal then added Davis’ statements over the years to law enforcement, documentarians and his own 2019 book, “Compton Street Legend.”“Many years ago, OJ Simpson wrote the book, ‘If I Did It,’” Palal said. “Duane Davis wrote the book, ‘I Did It.’”Receipts from the Excalibur and Monte Carlo place Anderson and others in Las Vegas that night. Surveillance video shows the attack on Anderson.Davis, in the front passenger seat of the Cadillac, is accused of handing a .40-caliber Glock to the backseat, with Anderson taking it and firing the shots.Prosecutors have said Davis is the only person still living who was in the Cadillac. Davis had an incentive to tell the truth in a 2008 proffer to federal agents, Palal said, as he potentially faced criminal charges if he lied about the details leading up to Shakur’s shooting.Anticipating Sanft’s argument, Palal said the defense attorney would say his client created the story about the shooting. Sanft said jurors needed no corroboration if they believed Davis’ statements. However, if they thought Davis lied, they did need other evidence.And if they believed a witness lied, they could disregard that person’s entire testimony.“If I say something, it should be proved by something else,” Sanft added.Focusing on Davis’ statements to law enforcement, Sanft said his client was cajoled and led to give certain information. He claimed Davis’ attorney at the time wasn’t representing Davis’ best interests and law enforcement kept the case file locked away.Davis also gave conflicting statements over the years, the defense attorney said.In one example, Davis said he waited for Shakur outside Club 662 for 15 minutes. In his book, he writes that he waited for 90 minutes.“Mr. Davis is not telling the truth,” Sanft said. “He’s telling a fiction.”Law enforcement also failed to prove key elements of the case, Sanft said. Officers couldn’t prove the attack at the California mall, which prosecutors have said led to the MGM Grand beating, ever occurred. No one could prove his client was in Las Vegas the night someone shot Shakur, Sanft said.A woman at the shooting scene testified that no one called Shakur’s name moments before the gun fired. However, Davis has said he only noticed Shakur because people were calling his name.Also, showing a picture of the shooting scene at night, Sanft said his client couldn’t have seen Shakur because of the lighting.“Do not presume anything in this case,” Sanft said.The defense attorney acknowledged a question he thought many jurors might ask themselves: why would Davis make these statements if they were lies?“He wanted to protect himself, he wanted to protect his family and he wanted to make money,” Sanft said.“There’s no proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Davis committed any crime in this case, let alone murder,” he added.The jury, which began hearing evidence Aug. 17, started its deliberations Monday afternoon.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