LAS VEGAS — Duane “Keffe D” Davis was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed rapper, actor and cultural icon Tupac Shakur, closing a major chapter in one of hip-hop’s longest-running murder cases.
Clark County District Judge Carli Kierny imposed the sentence on Oct. 13, 2026, after a jury convicted Davis, 63, of first-degree murder in August. He is the only person ever charged in Shakur’s killing. Davis’ attorney said he plans to appeal, according to The Associated Press.
Prosecutors did not accuse Davis of firing the shots. They argued that he organized the attack and supplied the gun after Shakur and others beat Davis’ nephew during a confrontation at the MGM Grand. Under Nevada law, a person who aids or directs a killing can be held criminally responsible even without pulling the trigger.
Shakur was shot near the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 7, 1996, while riding in a car driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight. He died six days later at age 25.
The case remained unsolved for decades. Prosecutors built much of their case around Davis’ own accounts, including statements to investigators, media interviews and his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend. The defense argued that Davis had exaggerated or fabricated his role for attention and money and emphasized the absence of physical evidence tying him to the shooting.
Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, addressed the court before sentencing and described her brother as more than an entertainer, emphasizing his work and voice on behalf of marginalized people. His brother Maurice “Mopreme” Shakur also spoke, according to the AP.
Shakur’s music chronicled racism, poverty, police violence and the pressures facing young Black Americans, while also celebrating resilience and community. Nearly three decades after his death, his recordings and public image remain influential across music, film and political culture.
Reuters reported that the sentence makes Davis eligible for parole only after serving the minimum term, with credit for time already spent in custody. The appeal process means the legal case is not yet fully over, but Tuesday’s sentence marks the first prison punishment imposed in Shakur’s killing.
