Duane “Keffe D” Davis was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Tuesday for orchestrating the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas.
During the hearing, Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, spoke about the loss her family has carried for nearly three decades.
“This man’s life mattered,” she told the court as family members cried. Davis, 63, was convicted of first-degree murder in August. His lawyer has said he plans to appeal the verdict.
Tupac’s sister recalls the life he could have lived
Sekyiwa Shakur described her brother as a gentle and kind person who protected his family. She said it was painful to hear Davis repeatedly describe how he tracked and killed Tupac, who was just 25 when he was shot.
She also spoke about the future her brother lost. Had he survived his injuries, she said, he might have left music behind to focus on activism, following figures such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. She added that he might even have entered politics.
Tupac was shot in a drive-by attack near the Las Vegas Strip on September 7, 1996. He was riding in a black BMW with music executive Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled up at a traffic light and gunfire erupted. Knight survived, but Tupac died six days later.
{{/usCountry}}Tupac was shot in a drive-by attack near the Las Vegas Strip on September 7, 1996. He was riding in a black BMW with music executive Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled up at a traffic light and gunfire erupted. Knight survived, but Tupac died six days later.
{{/usCountry}}Tupac’s brother, Maurice “Mopreme” Shakur, also spoke about the family’s pain, describing the killing as devastating and heartbreaking for relatives and fans.
Also Read: Duane 'Keffe D' Davis faces life in prison for orchestrating murder of rapper Tupac Shakur
Why Davis was convicted in Tupac’s murder
The case remained unsolved for decades before investigators charged Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips. He had discussed his alleged role in the shooting in interviews and a 2019 memoir.
Davis wrote that he was in the Cadillac during the shooting and passed a gun to someone in the back seat. He said the attack was retaliation after Tupac and members of his entourage beat up his nephew earlier that day.
Prosecutors argued during the trial that Davis helped organise the killing and supplied the weapon used in the attack. They relied on statements he had made to investigators and documentarians.
His defense challenged the case, arguing that physical evidence did not connect him to the crime and portraying him as someone who made claims for money.
After hearing testimony for several weeks in August, jurors reached a guilty verdict following about three hours of deliberations. Davis was the only person charged in connection with Tupac’s killing.
Will anyone else face charges?
The sentencing has not ended questions about who else may have been involved. Three other people alleged to have been in the Cadillac have died, including Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, whom Davis identified as the shooter.
Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs has also been mentioned in connection with the case. Witnesses testified that Combs used members of the South Side Compton Crips for security at his record label, Bad Boy Records.
Davis alleged that Combs offered money to kill Tupac and Knight, but Combs has repeatedly denied involvement in Tupac’s death.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson has said prosecutors do not currently have enough evidence to charge anyone else. He has left open the possibility of further charges if new information emerges.
One Tupac fan, rapper Din “Lil Therapy” Malone, said the outcome felt incomplete and called justice “halfway done.”
(With AP inputs)