Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis sentenced to 40 years to life in Tupac Shakur’s murder

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a former South Side Compton Crips leader, was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, the only conviction in a killing that happened more than 30 years ago.

Clark County District Judge Carli Kierny imposed the sentence in Las Vegas and said Davis, 63, would receive credit for time already served, CBS News reported. Variety reported that the term consists of 20 years to life for first-degree murder and 20 years to life for a deadly weapon enhancement. Davis had faced a maximum of life without parole.

A jury convicted Davis on Aug. 31 of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon after about three hours of deliberation.

Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo urged the court to impose the maximum, telling the judge that “in my mind he deserves the maximum possible sentence,” The Associated Press reported. He added that Davis would die in prison regardless of the term imposed.

Davis spoke briefly, asking the judge to return items police took from his home, including his photographs, and saying he had nothing more to add. His attorney, Michael Sanft, said he plans to appeal and argued prosecutors waited too long to bring the case, according to the AP.

Shakur’s siblings, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur and Maurice “Mopreme” Shakur, addressed the court. Variety reported that Maurice Shakur asked for the longest possible sentence.

Prosecutors argued Davis did not fire the fatal shots but supplied the gun and set the killing in motion after Shakur and his entourage beat up Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, hours earlier. Shakur was shot at a red light on the night of Sept. 7, 1996, while riding with Death Row Records chief Marion “Suge” Knight, who survived. Shakur died six days later at age 25.

The case rested largely on Davis’ own words. Prosecutors pointed to interviews and his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” in which he described being in the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired. The defense countered that no physical evidence placed him at the scene and portrayed him as a liar looking to make money, according to the AP.

Davis is the only person ever charged. The three other men prosecutors say were in the Cadillac, including Anderson, are dead. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson has said his office does not believe it has sufficient evidence to charge anyone else but could consider more charges if new evidence emerges.