Aug. 5, 2026: LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nearly 30 years after his death, Tupac Shakur will be front and center as a man who prosecutors say orchestrated his killing goes to trial. Duane “Keffe D” Davis has pleaded not guilty to a single count of murder for his alleged role in the death of the iconic ra pper. The long-unsolved case has gripped fans. For decades, the case was cold. Then, Davis’ tell-all memoir revived the investigation, and he was arrested in late 2023. Jury selection is scheduled to start Monday. The trial is scheduled for about a month. Shakur’s family hopes the trial will answer key questions about the artist’s death and bring justice for Shakur.   Dec. 26, 2025: LAS VEGAS (AP) — The attorneys for the man accused of killing rap icon Tupac Shakur in 1996 are pushing to suppress evidence obtained in what they claim was an “unlawful nighttime search.” Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys Robert Draskovich and William Brown filed a motion this week on behalf of their client, Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who was charged in the drive-by shooting of the iconic rapper off the Las Vegas Strip. Davis’ attorneys argue a judge relied on a “misleading portrait” of Davis as a dangerous drug dealer to grant the execution of a search warrant at night, which should only be done in exceptional circumstances, such as if there’s a risk that evidence will disappear if officers wait until morning. In reality, Davis, an ex- gang leader from Southern California, had left the narcotics trade in 2008 and began doing inspection work for oil refineries, his attorneys say. He was a 60-year-old retired cancer survivor with adult children and grandchildren and had been living with his wife in Henderson, a city outside of Las Vegas, for nine years at the time the warrant was executed. “The court wasn’t told any of this,” his attorneys wrote in the motion. “As a result, the court authorized a nighttime search based on a portrait of Davis that bore little resemblance to reality — a clearly erroneous factual determination, in other words.” The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department — which conducted the search and collected Davis’ electronic devices, “purported marijuana” and tubs of photographs — declined to comment Friday, citing the pending litigation. At the time of the search, police said executing the warrant under the cover of darkness would allow officers to surround and secure the residence, and that if Davis barricaded himself, the darkness would allow officers to evacuate the surrounding homes with the least exposure to residents. Davis was arrested in September 2023. He pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and sought to be released since shortly after his arrest. His attorneys claim Davis’ arrest stems from false public statements Davis had made in which he claimed to be present in the white Cadillac from which Shakur was shot. They say he has never offered details that would firmly corroborate his presence in the car, and that he benefited from saying he was present. He dodged drug charges by telling the story in a proffer agreement, and he has made money by repeating it in documentaries and his 2019 book, according to his attorneys. He sought to dismiss his murder charges in the Nevada Supreme Court, but in November his petition was denied. “Think of it this way: Shakur’s murder was essentially the entertainment world’s JFK assassination — endlessly dissected, mythologized, monetized — so it’s not hard to see why someone in Davis’s position might falsely place himself at the center of it all for personal gain,” his attorneys wrote.   February 18, 2025: LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada judge on Tuesday (Feb. 18, 2025) postponed the murder trial of the only suspect ever charged in the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur for nearly a year, saying she had little choice given new developments presented by his defense attorneys and the need to ensure a fair trial. The trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, previously set for next month in Las Vegas, has been rescheduled for Feb. 9, 2026. The judge ordered prosecutors and the defense to return to court over the summer for a status hearing. “It looks like there are quite a few things that are left to be done to get this case prepared so that Mr. Davis can have effective assistance of counsel,” Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny said during a short hearing. When asked by the judge if he was OK with moving the trial that far out, Davis agreed. Davis’ defense team filed a motion Friday seeking more time, saying critical investigative work had to be done and witnesses needed to be interviewed to ensure he gets a fair trial. The lawyers said a private investigator identified witnesses who can testify that Davis was not at the scene of the shooting. Attorney Carl Arnold, who is leading the defense, said the case involves decades-old allegations and critical facts have yet to be fully examined. On the night of Sept. 7, 1996, Shakur was in a BMW being driven by Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight. They were waiting at a red light when a white Cadillac pulled up next to them and gunfire erupted. Davis, an ex-gang leader who is accused of orchestrating Shakur’s killing near the Las Vegas Strip, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and has been jailed since his September 2023 arrest. Davis has acknowledged in interviews and in his tell-all memoir that he provided the gun used in the drive-by shooting and that he was in the car. But his court filings say his descriptions in recent years of orchestrating the shooting were “done for entertainment purposes and to make money.” Arnold has argued that Davis never should have been charged because of immunity agreements that Davis says he reached years ago with federal and local prosecutors while living in California. Prosecutors disagree, saying they have strong evidence against Davis and any immunity agreement was limited. Defense attorneys also are raising questions about the manner of Shakur’s death, saying they have witness information indicating that he was in stable condition after the shooting and died suddenly after being hospitalized for a week. They want to consult medical and forensic experts to evaluate potential alternative causes of death.   February 17, 2025: LAS VEGAS (AP) — Attorneys for the man suspected of killing rap icon Tupac Shakur want to delay next month’s trial, saying more time is needed for investigative work to ensure that Duane “Keffe D” Davis gets a fair trial. The motion filed Friday (Feb. 14, 2025) in a Nevada court provides insight into Davis’ defense. It notes that a private investigator has identified witnesses who can testify that he was not even in Las Vegas at the time of the 1996 shooting. It also suggests that someone else may have orchestrated the killing and that witnesses are being interviewed. Davis has pleaded not guilty in Shakur’s death.   AUGUST 28, 2024: LAS VEGAS (AP) — A judge on Tuesday (Aug. 27, 2024) again rejected a request to free an ailing former Los Angeles-area gang leader ahead of his murder trial in the 1996 killing of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur, saying she suspects a cover-up related to the source of the funds for his bond. The decision from Clark District Court Judge Carli Kierny came after an attorney for Duane “Keffe D” Davis said he would provide additional records to prove that the music record executive offering to underwrite Davis’ $750,000 bail had obtained the money legally. But Kierny said she was skeptical after receiving two identical letters apparently from an entertainment company that Cash “Wack 100” Jones says wired him the funds as payment for his work. One letter was signed with a name that has no ties to the company, the judge said, while the second letter included a misspelled name and a return address tied to a doctor’s office. “I have a sense that things are trying to be covered up,” Kierny said. The hearing took a turn when Davis’ lawyer, Carl Arnold, told the judge that the bail bond agent used by Davis had provided the entertainment company with copy-and-paste instructions on the language for the letters and could therefore testify about their legitimacy. In a scathing response, prosecutor Binu Palal said the bond dealer may have committed a felony crime by submitting “a false document to this court.” “The state takes that very seriously,” he said. “Be advised that it will not go uninvestigated.” Both Palal and Arnold declined to comment further. Davis has sought to be released since shortly after his September 2023 arrest, which made him the only person ever to be charged in one of hip-hop’s most enduring mysteries. He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. Also Tuesday, Kierny pushed back the start of Davis’ trial from Nov. 4 to March 17. Kierny previously rejected Davis’ bid to have Jones put up $112,500 for his release to house arrest. Adding to her concerns, she said at the time, was the question of whether the pair planned to profit by selling Davis’ life story. Nevada has a law, sometimes called a “slayer statute,” that prohibits convicted killers from profiting from their crimes. Jones, who has managed artists including Johnathan “Blueface” Porter and Jayceon “The Game” Taylor, testified in June that he wanted to help Davis because he was fighting cancer and had “always been a monumental person in our community … especially the urban community.” Davis himself has said in interviews and in his 2019 tell-all memoir that he is the only living suspect in the fatal drive-by shooting of Shakur nearly 28 years ago at a traffic light near the Las Vegas Strip. Authorities say that the gunfire stemmed from competition between East Coast members of a Bloods gang sect and West Coast groups of a Crips sect, including Davis, for dominance in a genre known at the time as “gangsta rap.”   JUNE 27, 2024: LAS VEGAS (AP) — An ailing former Los Angeles-area gang leader will stay in jail ahead of his trial in the 1996 killing of music legend Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. A Nevada judge ruled Wednesday (June 26, 2024) that she couldn’t determine if funds for Duane “Keffe D” Davis’ release were obtained legally — and that they didn’t hinge on a TV or movie deal. Davis has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. His trial is scheduled for Nov. 4, 2024. Davis told the judge during a hearing Tuesday that he has cancer and wanted to post $750,000 bond and be released on house arrest pending trial. A Nevada law prohibits convicted killers from profiting from their crime.   JANUARY 10, 2024: LAS VEGAS (AP) — A judge in Nevada has set bail at $750,000 for a former Los Angeles-area gang leader charged with orchestrating the killing of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur in 1996. The judge said at a bail hearing Tuesday (Jan. 9, 2024) in Las Vegas that Duane “Keffe D” Davis can serve house arrest ahead of trial. Court-appointed attorneys told The Associated Press they believe he can post that amount. They argue their 60-year-old client is in danger from witnesses and hasn’t been getting needed medical care in jail after battling cancer. Prosecutors argue that Davis has never left gang life, is a threat to witnesses and is a danger to the community.   JANUARY 2, 2024, UPDATE: LAS VEGAS (AP) — Prosecutors’ claims that witnesses may be at risk led a Nevada judge to postpone a bail hearing for a former Los Angeles-area gang leader charged with orchestrating the killing of hip-hop music icon Tupac Shakur in 1996 in Las Vegas. The court date was reset Tuesday (Jan. 2, 2024) to Jan. 9, 2024, to let Duane “Keffe D” Davis’ court-appointed attorneys respond in writing. Prosecutors filed a document last week saying jail telephone recordings and a list of names provided to Davis’ family members show that Davis poses a threat to the public if he’s released to house arrest ahead of his trial in June. Davis has pleaded not guilty and has remained jailed without bail since his arrest in September.   JANUARY 2, 2024: LAS VEGAS (AP) — A former Los Angeles-area gang leader charged with killing hip-hop music icon Tupac Shakur in 1996 in Las Vegas is seeking release to house arrest ahead of the trial in June. Court-appointed lawyers for Duane “Keffe D” Davis say Tuesday (Jan. 2, 2024) he’s now 60, in poor health and poses no danger to the community. But prosecutors say jail telephone recordings show that witnesses may be at risk of harm if Davis is released. Davis has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge and has remained jailed without bail since his arrest in September. Prosecutors say Davis’ own words provide strong evidence that he orchestrated the September 1996 drive-by shooting that killed Shakur.   NOVEMBER 7, 2023: LAS VEGAS (AP) — A former Southern California street gang leader charged with killing rap icon Tupac Shakur in 1996 is expected to learn his court date for his murder trial. Duane “Keffe D” Davis is due in court Tuesday (Nov. 7, 2023). He pleaded not guilty last week and remains jailed in Las Vegas. The 60-year-old is originally from Compton, California. He was arrested Sept. 29 outside a Las Vegas-area home. He has said publicly in recent years that he orchestrated the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur and wounded rap music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight. Davis is the only person still alive who was in the vehicle from which shots were fired.   NOVEMBER 2, 2023: LAS VEGAS (AP) — A former Southern California street gang leader has pleaded not guilty to orchestrating a 1996 drive-by shooting that killed rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. Duane “Keffe D” Davis is the only person still alive who was in the vehicle from which shots were fired and the only person to be charged with a crime in the case. The 60-year-old had attorneys appointed Thursday (Nov. 2, 2023) to his defense and the judge acknowledged that prosecutors won’t seek the death penalty. Davis remains jailed pending another court appearance next Tuesday. He’s originally from Compton, California, and was arrested Sept. 29 near his home in suburban Henderson.   OCTOBER 12, 2023: LAS VEGAS (AP) — Duane “Keffe D” Davis is the last living suspect in one of hip-hop’s most enduring mysteries — the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. Davis, 60, is accused of orchestrating the drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip that also wounded rap music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight. Davis was arrested and indicted Sept. 29, 2023, — more than two months after police raided his home outside Las Vegas. He remains jailed on a murder charge and is due back in court Oct. 19. On the night of Sept. 7, 1996, Shakur was in the passenger seat of a black BMW that Knight was driving when a white Cadillac pulled up on their right side and gunfire erupted. Knight was wounded but survived. Shakur died a week later at the age of 25. Police and prosecutors say the shooting stemmed from a fierce competition for dominance in a musical genre that pitted East Coast members of a Bloods gang sect against West Coast members of a Crips sect that Davis has said he led in Compton, California. That night, three others were with Davis in the Cadillac, but none of them faced charges in Shakur’s killing before they died. Here’s what we know about who was in both vehicles from authorities, court records, grand jury testimony, interviews and Davis’ 2019 tell-all memoir, “Compton Street Legend.” Tupac Shakur Shakur is considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. He had five No. 1 albums, was nominated for six Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. He received a posthumous star this year on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is the subject of a Los Angeles museum exhibit, “Tupac Shakur. Wake Me When I’m Free.” His death came as his fourth solo album, “All Eyez on Me,” remained on the charts, with some 5 million copies sold. He also used the stage names 2Pac and Makaveli. As an actor, he starred in several films. Shakur was born Lesane Parish Crooks in New York in 1971, and his name was changed a year later. His late mother Afeni Shakur, and late stepfather Mutulu Shakur, were active in the Black Panther Party in New York. Tupac Shakur was not close with his biological father, William “Billy” Garland. Two of the rapper’s siblings, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur and Mopreme Shakur, have criticized authorities for inaction and slowness in charging anyone with their brother’s death before now. Marion “Suge” Knight Knight founded Death Row Records, a Los Angeles-based music label that represented Shakur at the time of his death. Knight’s moniker was shortened from “Sugar Bear,” his nickname growing up in Compton. Knight and Shakur were headed to a nightclub when their car was shot at near the Las Vegas Strip. Knight was grazed by a bullet or shrapnel. Now 58, Knight is serving a 28-year prison sentence in California for running over and killing a Compton businessman outside a burger stand in January 2015. The case capped the former rap music mogul’s downfall from his heyday as one of the biggest — and most feared — names in the music industry. Davis said he and Knight knew each other growing up and even played on the same youth football team in Compton. Knight went on to play college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Briefly, during the 1987 NFL players’ strike, he was a replacement player for the Los Angeles Rams. In his memoir, Davis describes Knight and himself as the “only living eyewitnesses to what truly happened.” Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson Law enforcement authorities long suspected that Anderson was the gunman. He was 22 at the time. Though Davis was his uncle and 12 years older, he described their relationship as that of brothers, friends and even father-son. Shortly before the drive-by shooting, Anderson was beaten in a brawl at the MGM Grand casino involving Shakur and associates, including Knight. Authorities, authors and Davis himself say the shooting was an act of retaliation for beating up Anderson. “Them jumping on my nephew gave us the ultimate green light to do something,” Davis writes in his book. Davis said he obtained a handgun from an associate and tossed it into the back seat of the Cadillac but did not say who fired the fatal shots. Anderson was sitting in the backseat of the car, behind his uncle. Neither the Cadillac nor the gun used in the shooting were recovered, according to retired Las Vegas police Detective Clifford Mogg, who was assigned to the investigation in early 2018. “We were never able to identify the person who rented the car, where it was rented from, and then when it comes to the gun, we have never recovered as of this date, the weapon that was used in the murder,” Mogg said in testimony to the grand jury. Anderson, who denied involvement in Shakur’s killing, died two years later in what police said was an unrelated shooting at a Compton car wash. Deandrae “Freaky” Smith Also known as “Big Dre,” Smith was in the back seat of the car that night, sitting next to Anderson. Although authorities have said they believe Anderson pulled the trigger, the grand jury testimony challenged that theory. Denvonta Lee, a former associate of Davis, told the grand jury that it was Smith who shot Shakur and Knight. He said Anderson tried reaching over Smith but didn’t have a “clear shot” out the left-rear passenger window. The former associate, who wasn’t in the car but recounted a conversation he had with Smith days after the shooting, said Smith took the gun from Anderson, opened fire and let Anderson take credit for Shakur’s death. Smith was 30 when he died in 2004 of natural causes, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. Terry “Bubble Up” Brown Brown was driving the Cadillac from which the shots were fired. Davis said in his memoir that they were driving toward Las Vegas Boulevard that night but spotted Shakur “hanging out of the window” of the BMW and waving to fans. Davis told Brown to make a U-turn, and they drove slowly past the rapper’s convoy until Davis said they “found who we were seeking.” Brown died in a 2015 shooting at a medical marijuana dispensary in Compton. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office said his full name was Terry Tyrone Brown, although Brown has been referred to as both “Terrence” and “Terrance” in investigative records. The coroner’s office declined to release more information, citing a security hold on the case.   OCTOBER 4, 2023: LAS VEGAS (AP) — A self-described gangster who police and prosecutors say masterminded the shooting death of Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in 1996 is due to make his first appearance Wednesday before a Nevada judge. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 60, was arrested Friday (Sept. 29, 2023) during an early-morning walk near his home in suburban Henderson. A few hours later a grand jury indictment was unsealed in Clark County District Court charging him with murder. Grand jurors also voted to add sentencing enhancements for the use of a deadly weapon and alleged gang activity. If Davis is convicted, that could add decades to his sentence. Davis denied a request from The Associated Press for an interview from jail where he’s being held without bond. Court records don’t list an attorney who could comment on his behalf. Davis had been a suspect in the case, and publicly admitted his role in the killing in interviews ahead of his 2019 tell-all memoir, “Compton Street Legend.” “There’s one thing that’s for sure when living that gangster lifestyle,” he wrote. “You already know that the stuff you put out is going to come back; you never know how or when, but there’s never a doubt that it’s coming.” Davis’ own comments revived the police investigation that led to the indictment, police and prosecutors said. In mid-July, Las Vegas police raided Davis’ home, drawing renewed attention to one of hip-hop music’s most enduring mysteries. Prosecutors allege Shakur’s killing stemmed from a rivalry and competition for dominance in a musical genre that, at the time, was dubbed “gangsta rap.” It pitted East Coast members of a Bloods gang sect associated with rap music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight against West Coast members of a Crips sect that Davis has said he led in Compton, California. Tension escalated in Las Vegas the night of Sept. 7, 1996, when a brawl broke out between Shakur and Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, at the MGM Grand hotel-casino following a heavyweight championship boxing match won by Mike Tyson. Knight and Shakur went to the fight, as did members of the South Side Crips,” prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo said last week in court. “And (Knight) brought his entourage, which involved Mob Piru gang members.” After the casino brawl, Knight drove a BMW with Shakur in the front passenger seat. The car was stopped at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip when a white Cadillac pulled up on the passenger side and gunfire erupted. Shot multiple times, Shakur died a week later at age 25. Knight was grazed by a bullet fragment. Davis has said he was in the front passenger seat of the Cadillac and handed a .40-caliber handgun to his nephew in the back seat, from which he said the shots were fired. In Nevada, a person can be convicted of murder for helping another person commit the crime. Among the four people in the Cadillac that night, Davis is the only one still alive. Anderson died in a May 1998 shooting in Compton. Before his death, Anderson denied involvement in Shakur’s death. The other backseat passenger, DeAndre “Big Dre” or “Freaky” Smith, died in 2004. The driver, Terrence “Bubble Up” Brown, died in a 2015 shooting in Compton. Knight, now 58, is now serving a 28-year prison sentence for running over and killing a Compton businessman outside a burger stand in January 2015. Sheriff Kevin McMahill, who oversees the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, has acknowledged criticism that his agency was slow to investigate Shakur’s killing. “That was simply not the case,” McMahill said. He called the investigation “important to this police department.” Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, issued a statement describing the arrest as “a pivotal moment” but didn’t praise authorities who investigated the case. “The silence of the past 27 years surrounding this case has spoken loudly in our community,” she said.   JULY 21, 2023: LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Las Vegas-area home searched by police investigating the killing of rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996 is tied to Duane “Keffe D” Davis. He’s an author and the uncle of a long-dead suspect. He says he’s one of the only surviving witnesses to the shooting. No arrest has ever been made. Davis has said he and his nephew were in a car from which fatal shots were fired. The nephew died in 1998. Davis wrote in a 2019 memoir that he told authorities what he knew many years ago, in exchange for ending a federal conspiracy case against him and his gang. A source tells The Associated Press that the Shakur case is being presented to a grand jury in Las Vegas. Story Body LAS VEGAS (AP) — A home that Las Vegas police raided this week in connection with the 1996 drive-by shooting of Tupac Shakur is tied to one of the only surviving witnesses to the crime, a man long known to investigators whose nephew was seen as a suspect shortly after the rapper’s killing. Detectives sought items “concerning the murder of Tupac Shakur” from Duane “Keffe D” Davis, according to warrant documents obtained Thursday (July 20, 2023) by The Associated Press. Davis, now 60, is a self-described “gangster” and the uncle of Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, one of Shakur’s known rivals. Anderson denied involvement in Shakur’s killing, and died two years later in a shooting in Compton, California. Police reported collecting multiple computers, a cellphone and hard drive, “documentary documents,” a Vibe magazine that featured Shakur, “purported marijuana,” several .40-caliber bullets, two “tubs containing photographs” and a copy of Davis’ 2019 tell-all memoir, ”Compton Street Legend.” The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed it served a search warrant Monday in the neighboring city of Henderson. The department hasn’t said whether investigators expect to make a first-ever arrest in the slaying of the rapper nearly 27 years ago. Residents of the neighborhood in foothills about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of the Las Vegas Strip said they saw officers detain two people outside the home Monday night while investigators searched the one-story property. “There were cruisers and SWAT vehicles. They had lights shining on the house,” said Don Sansouci, who watched from the sidewalk as a man and a woman stepped out of a house to bullhorn commands, placed their hands behind their heads and slowly walked backwards toward officers amid a swirl of blue and red police lights. The case is being presented to a grand jury in Las Vegas, according to a person with direct knowledge of the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly. The timing and results of those proceedings was unclear, and the person did not identify the two people whom police encountered at the house. It was not immediately known if Davis has a lawyer who can comment on his behalf. Messages left for Davis and his wife, Paula Clemons, weren’t returned. Records show the two were married in Clark County, Nevada, in 2005. News of the search breathed new life into Shakur’s long-unsolved killing, which has been surrounded by conspiracy theories. There has never been any arrest and attention on the case has endured for decades. “I’m one of the only living eyewitnesses to Tupac’s killing, who also knows the much larger story around the reasons why both Tupac and Biggie were killed,” Davis wrote in the memoir, referring also to the 1997 killing of rapper “Biggie Smalls,” also known as “Notorious B.I.G.” Shakur’s death came as his fourth solo album, “All Eyez on Me,” remained on the charts, with some 5 million copies sold. Nominated six times for a Grammy Award, Shakur is largely considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time. On the night of Sept. 7, 1996, Shakur was riding in a black BMW driven by Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight in a convoy of about 10 cars. They were waiting at a red light a block from the Las Vegas Strip when a white Cadillac pulled up next to them and gunfire erupted. Shakur was shot multiple times and died days later. Knight, now 58, was wounded but recovered. He was sentenced in October 2018 to 28 years in prison for running over a man with his pickup truck, killing him, in a Compton burger stand parking lot in January 2015. The Shakur shooting unfolded shortly after a casino brawl earlier in the evening involving Anderson, Shakur and their associates. There were many witnesses, but the investigation stalled because people refused to cooperate, Las Vegas police said in the past. That silence broke, to a point, in 2018, when Davis — saying he was ready to speak publicly after a cancer diagnosis — admitted to being in the front seat of the Cadillac. In an interview for a BET show, he implicated his nephew in the shooting, saying Anderson was one of two people in the backseat. Davis said the shots were fired from the back of the car, though he stopped short of naming the shooter, saying he had to abide by the “code of the streets.” But in his memoir, Davis said he shared what he knew nearly a decade earlier in a closed-door meeting with federal and local authorities who were investigating the possibility that Shakur’s slaying was linked to B.I.G.’s death. “They offered to let me go for running a ‘criminal enterprise’ and numerous alleged murders for the truth about the Tupac and Biggie murders,” Davis, who was 46 at the time, said in his book. “They promised they would shred the indictment and stop the grand jury if I helped them out.” At the time of their deaths, Shakur and B.I.G. were involved in the infamous East Coast-West Coast rivalry that primarily defined the hip-hop scene during the mid-1990s. The feud was ignited after Shakur was seriously wounded in another shooting during a robbery in the lobby of a midtown Manhattan hotel. Shakur openly accused B.I.G. and Sean “Diddy” Combs of having prior knowledge of the shooting in New York, which both vehemently denied. It sparked a serious divide within the hip-hop community and among fans. In the memoir, Davis wrote that he finally decided to tell authorities in 2010 what he knew of the Shakur and B.I.G. killings to protect himself as well as 48 of his associates involved in the Southside Compton Crips gang from what might have been sentences of life in prison. “I sang because they promised I would not be prosecuted,” Davis said, adding that he thought they were lying about the deal. “But they kept their word and stopped the indictment, tore up the whole case. Nobody went to jail.” It’s unclear if Davis was at the Henderson home when officers descended on the property. Las Vegas court records show he has been sought on an arrest warrant since July 2022, when he failed to appear in court on a drug charge.   JULY 20, 2023: LAS VEGAS (AP) — A home searched by Las Vegas police investigating the drive-by shooting of Tupac Shakur is tied to the uncle of a long-dead suspect in the killing. Public records show it’s the residence of the wife of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, whose nephew Orlando Anderson was a suspect shortly after the shooting nearly 30 years ago. Five years ago, Davis said he was in the front seat and Anderson was in back, where the fatal shots were fired from. But he said the street code of silence kept him from naming the killer. Las Vegas police won’t say what they were looking for or if they expect to make an arrest. Extended version: LAS VEGAS (AP) — A home Las Vegas police searched this week (July 18, 2023) in connection with the 1996 drive-by shooting of Tupac Shakur is tied to a man long known to detectives investigating the case, whose nephew had emerged as a suspect shortly after the rapper’s killing. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed it served a search warrant Monday in the nearby city of Henderson. But the department said it wouldn’t release any other details, including where officers were searching and whether they expect to make an arrest for the first time in the slaying of the rapper nearly 30 years ago. Residents of the small Henderson neighborhood — nestled in the foothills of the city about 20 miles southeast of the Las Vegas Strip — identified the property where they said they saw officers detain two people while investigators searched the home Monday night. “There were cruisers and SWAT vehicles. They had lights shining on the house,” said Don Sansouci, 61, who had just gone to bed with his wife when a swirl of blue and red police lights stirred them awake sometime after 9 p.m. Public records, including voting records, link the property to the wife of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the uncle of Orlando Anderson, one of Shakur’s known rivals who authorities have long suspected in the rapper’s death. Anderson denied any involvement in Shakur’s killing at the time, and died two years later in an unrelated gang shooting. From the sidewalk Monday night in front of their home, Sansouci said they watched a man and a woman step outside of the house surrounded by police, place their hands behind their heads and slowly walk backwards toward the officers. Sansouci said they don’t know the people who live in the home. He described the area as “a nice, quiet cul-de-sac neighborhood” but said most residents on the street keep to themselves. It’s not immediately known if Davis has a lawyer who can comment on his behalf, and messages left for Davis and his wife, Paula Clemons, weren’t returned. Records show the two were married in Clark County, Nevada, in 2005. News of the search breathed new life into Shakur’s long-unsolved killing, which has been surrounded by conspiracy theories. There have never been any arrests, yet attention on the case has endured for decades. Shakur’s death came as his fourth solo album, “All Eyez on Me,” remained on the charts, with some 5 million copies sold. Nominated six times for a Grammy Award, Shakur is largely considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time. On the night of Sept. 7, 1996, Shakur was riding in a black BMW driven by Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight in a convoy of about 10 cars. They were waiting at a red light a block from the Las Vegas Strip when a white Cadillac pulled up next to them and gunfire erupted. Shakur was shot multiple times. The shooting unfolded shortly after a casino brawl earlier in the evening between Anderson, Shakur and their associates. There were many witnesses, but the investigation quickly stalled, in part because those witnesses refused to cooperate, Las Vegas police said in the past. That silence broke, to a point, in 2018, when Davis, saying he was ready to speak after a cancer diagnosis, admitted to being in the front seat of the Cadillac. In an interview for a BET show, he implicated his nephew in the shooting, saying Anderson was one of two people in the backseat. Davis said the shots were fired from the back of the car, though he stopped short of naming which of the two pulled the trigger, saying he had to abide by the “code of the streets.” It’s unclear if Davis has been living in the home police searched this week and whether he was present when officers descended on the property. Las Vegas court records show there has been an active warrant out for his arrest since July 2022, when he failed to appear in court on a drug charge.   JULY 18, 2023: LAS VEGAS (AP) — Authorities in Nevada served a search warrant this week in connection with the long-unsolved killing of rapper Tupac Shakur nearly 30 years ago, they confirmed Tuesday (July 18, 2023). Shakur, one of the most prolific figures in hip-hop, was killed on the night of Sept. 7, 1996, in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. He was 25. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said the search warrant was executed Monday in the nearby city of Henderson. It’s unclear what they were looking for and where they were looking. Department spokesperson Aden OcampoGomez said in a brief phone call that he couldn’t provide further details on the latest development in the case, citing the open investigation. Nevada does not have a statute of limitations for prosecuting homicide cases. Shakur was gunned down while sitting inside a black BMW with Marion “Suge” Knight, head of Death Row Records. Police have said the two were waiting at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip when a white Cadillac pulled up next to them and gunfire erupted. Shot multiple times, Shakur was rushed to a hospital, where he died six days later. No arrests have ever been made. Las Vegas police have said in the past that the investigation quickly stalled in part because witnesses refused to cooperate. Shakur’s death came amid his feud with rap rival the Notorious B.I.G., who was fatally shot six months later. At the time, both rappers were in the middle of the infamous East Coast-West Coast rivalry, which primarily defined the hip-hop scene during the mid-1990s. The feud was ignited after Shakur was seriously wounded in another shooting during a robbery in the lobby of a midtown Manhattan hotel. Shakur openly accused B.I.G. and Sean “Diddy” Combs of having prior knowledge of the shooting, which both vehemently denied. The shooting sparked enough of a feud that created a serious divide within the hip-hop community and fans. The New York-born Shakur represented the West Coast after he signed with Los Angeles-based Death Row Records. He often traded verbal jabs in the media and through songs. B.I.G. and Combs hailed from the East Coast while representing New York City-based Bad Boy Records. Largely considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time, the six-time Grammy Award -nominated Shakur has had five No. 1 albums: 1995’s “Me Against the World,” 1996’s “All Eyez on Me,” and three posthumous releases: 1996’s “The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory,” which was recorded under the name Makaveli, as well as 2001’s “Until the End of Time” and 2004’s “Loyal to the Game.” His professional music career only lasted five years, but Shakur secured 21 Billboard Hot 100s, including top 10 hits “Dear Mama” and “Old School” in 1995, and his best-known track, 1996’s “How Do U Want It/California Love” featuring K-Ci and JoJo. The latter spent two weeks at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 from his final studio album and Death Row Records debut, “All Eyez on Me.” According to entertainment data company Luminate, Shakur has sold 33 million albums, 41 million when including track sale and streaming equivalents. The rapper’s on-demand video and audio streams total 10.1 billion. In 2017, Shakur was inducted into the Rock Roll Hall of Fame by Snoop Dogg. In June of this year, the rapper received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He’s also had some museum exhibits that paid homage to his life, including “Tupac Shakur. Wake Me When I’m Free,” which opened in 2021. ...read more read less