27 Years Later: Witness to 1996 Drive-by Shooting of Tupac Shakur Indicted on Murder Charge

  • By: Brianna Rose Hewitt

“Justice has been delayed, but won’t be denied…”

The world of rap and hip-hop was forever changed in 1996 when Tupac Shakur was fatally shot multiple times. Both legal teams and the public have been wrapped around this case for decades, and 27 years later there has been a breakthrough.

AP News reports that Duane “Keffe D” Davis is being indicted on a murder charge of Tupac’s death by a Nevada Grand Jury. 

Davis is no stranger to this case as he was in the Cadillac that was the source of the gun-fire in the drive-by shooting. In both interviews and his memoir, he refers to himself as a “Compton Street Legend.”

Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo is now calling him the “on-ground-on-site commander” who “ordered the death.” Supporting his claims, Homicide Lt. Jason Johansson is calling him the “leader and shot killer.”

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This arrest follows the Las Vegas police raiding Davis’s house in mid-July. With a search warrant, the authorities seized computers, a cell phone, a hard drive, a Vibe magazine featuring Shakur, .40-caliber bullets, two “tubs containing photographs,” and a copy of Davis’s memoir. It is unclear whether Davis has representation at this time and has not provided any comments to the press.

During the drive-by, Davis was with his nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson. Anderson was present in the backseat and a rival of the famous rapper having experienced a casino brawl with him. Anderson denied involvement in the death and passed away two years later. 

DiGiacomo claimed that “Mr. Davis formulated a plan to exact revenge upon Dr. Knight and Dr. Shakur,” in defense of his nephew after hearing of the brawl. 

When Davis landed in legal trouble in 2010, he agreed with federal and local authorities to reveal information about not only Shakur’s death, but also Shakur’s rap rival Biggie Smalls, also known as the Notorious B.I.G. 

“They promised they would shred the indictment and stop the grand jury if I helped them out,” Davis shares in his memoir. 

After the press briefing, District Attorney Steve Wolson commented to AP “It has often been said that justice delayed is justice denied. In this case, justice has been delayed but won’t be denied.”

Greg Kading, a retired LAPD detective, claimed he is not surprised by Davis’s arrest. His memoir propelled investigations and “All the other direct conspirators or participants are all dead. Keffe D is the last man standing among the individuals that conspired to kill Tupac.” 

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