Duane Davis Appeals Murder Charges in Tupac Shakur Case

Las Vegas, NV

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the only individual formally charged in the 1996 murder of rap icon Tupac Shakur, has filed an appeal with the Nevada Supreme Court seeking the dismissal of his murder charges. This legal move came after a lower court judge upheld the charges against him in January 2025.

The 62-year-old Davis was arrested in September 2023 and has since been accused of orchestrating the shooting that claimed the life of Shakur, who was only 25 at the time of his death. The incident, which occurred during a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, has been surrounded by controversy and speculation for nearly three decades.

In his appeal, filed on July 29, 2025, Davis contends that his constitutional rights have been violated. His attorney, Carl Arnold, asserts that Davis had cooperated with law enforcement for over ten years with the understanding that his statements would not be used against him in a court of law. This argument is a central pillar of the appeal.

Details of the Case

Prior to this appeal, Davis had attempted to have the charges dismissed in January 2025, citing a delay of 27 years in prosecution and an alleged immunity agreement. However, the district court judge ruled that Davis did not provide sufficient proof of immunity, highlighting that the delay was not intentional.

Davis’ defense references interviews conducted in 1998 and 1999 in which he was reportedly assured that he would not face prosecution as long as he did not divulge the identities of others involved in Shakur’s death. Furthermore, he shared details about his connection to the murder in 2008 and 2009, naming the alleged shooter while under similar claims of protection.

Charges and Accusations

Davis has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, accompanied by a gang enhancement that underscores the gang-related nature of the crime. The altercation leading to the shooting involved a confrontation at a casino on the Las Vegas Strip between Shakur and Davis’s nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson. In the subsequent drive-by shooting, Shakur sustained four gunshot wounds while riding alongside Marion “Suge” Knight, who survived the attack.

It is important to note that the weapon used in the fatal shooting has never been recovered, leaving the case shrouded in mystery. Other individuals believed to have been involved in the incident have since died, including Anderson, who was fatally shot in 1998 in a separate incident. Despite ongoing investigations, the case remains one of the most notorious unsolved murders in the music industry.

Background on Tupac Shakur

Tupac Shakur, regarded as one of the most influential rappers in history, had just released his critically acclaimed fourth solo album, “All Eyez on Me,” prior to his death, which sold about five million copies. The artist earned six Grammy nominations and significantly impacted the landscape of hip-hop music. His death is often associated with the intense rivalry between East Coast and West Coast factions within the hip-hop culture, which contributed to the gang-related context of the shooting.

As Duane Davis continues to await trial, which is currently scheduled for early February 2026, the legacy of Tupac Shakur and the pursuit of justice for his murder remain in the spotlight. The high-profile nature of the case keeps it relevant in discussions about unresolved crimes within the entertainment industry.