A suspect has finally been arrested for the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac “2Pac” Shakur.
After 27 years, the last living suspect in the Tupac Shakur murder was arrested in Las Vegas on Sept. 29. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, former leader of the South Side Compton Crips gang, was taken into custody and indicted on murder charges for his involvement in the rapper’s death. The first hearing occurred on Oct. 4, but was cut short due to the absence of Davis’ attorney.
The investigation on Davis was reignited by his 2019 memoir “Compton Street Legend,” where he admitted to his involvement in Shakur’s murder, reports the New York Post. Davis has also admitted to riding in the white Cadillac that opened fire on Shakur’s BMW in the Netflix documentary “Unsolved.”
“One of my guys from the back seat grabbed the Glock and started bustin’ back,” Davis wrote in his memoir.
On July 17, Las Vegas police raided Davis’ home in Henderson, Nev. They collected multiple computers, 40-caliber bullets, “tubs containing photographs,” a cell phone, a hard drive, a magazine that featured Shakur and a copy of “Compton Street Legend,” reports CBS News.
Davis isn’t unfamiliar with this process. He and three others have been prime suspects for Shakur’s murder for several years. Davis is the last living suspect, but the other three denied having any involvement in the incident. While behind bars in Los Angeles in 2009, Davis struck a deal to speak on his knowledge of the crime with the FBI. According to NBC News, this could cause problems down the line.
The proffer agreement required Davis to give information about both Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. In exchange, his statements can’t be used against him. In recent years, Davis has publicly revealed more information, including how he called the shot to kill Shakur. While his statements can’t be used against him, they can still be used as an investigative tool.
If you’re unfamiliar with this case, here is a breakdown of the incident:
On Sept. 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur and members of his entourage attended the Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. At about 8:50 p.m., Shakur and Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson got into a brawl.
According to the Associated Press, Shakur and Anderson had clashed before. Davis and Anderson were members of a Los Angeles gang, the Crips. Shakur and Suge Knight, the head of his record label, Death Row Records, were affiliated with an LA rival gang, the Bloods.
Shakur and Knight left shortly after in a BMW. Knight was the driver and Shakur in the passenger seat. It’s unclear where they went, but by 11 p.m. they were pulled over by the police. They were let go without a ticket and proceeded on their way. At around 11:15 p.m., they pulled up to the infamous stop light at Flamingo Road and Koval Lane.
Malcolm Greenidge, a member of Shakur’s entourage, was in another car behind Knight and Shakur. At Davis’ indictment, Greenidge told the grand jury what he witnessed that night.
“We were on our way to Club 662…Some women drove up on the passenger side. Mr. Shakur began talking to the women. We couldn’t really hear what he was saying. We assumed he was probably inviting them to the club.”
After the women drove off, a white Cadillac came along the passenger side. In that car were Terrence “T-Brown” Brown as the driver, Davis in the passenger seat, DeAndre “Dre” Smith and Anderson in the back. Anderson used a .40-caliber gun, which was revealed to have been given to him by Davis, to shoot Shakur.
A dozen rounds were fired at Shakur, who was hit four times—twice in the chest. Knight was grazed by a bullet but only suffered minor injuries. Shakur was rushed to University Medical Center, where he would spend six days fighting for his life. On Sept. 13, Shakur died from his injuries. He was 25.
Until now, there have been no arrests made in the case. When questioned, each suspect denied their involvement in the murder. Davis is also the last living suspect. In 1998, Anderson was killed in a shoot-out in LA. Smith died in 2004. Brown was killed in a Compton shooting in 2015. In 2018, Davis was diagnosed with cancer. This is believed to have prompted him to come clean in documentaries and his memoir.
The Las Vegas Police Department has been criticized for their slow investigation. With Davis’ statement protection, investigators had to make sure they had criminalizing statements.
“This is an important case. We wanted to make sure we get it right,” Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson told NBC News.
Davis is currently being held on no bail until his next court appearance, set for Oct. 19.