Left: Tupac Shakur in Gridlock’d (1997), photo by Gramercy Pictures. Right: Duane “Keffe D” Davis appears in court on October 4, 2023, photo by Bizuayehu Tesfay/Pool. Photos via Getty Images.
Duane “Keefe D” Davis — the first person criminally charged in direct connection with the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur — will stand trial in Las Vegas starting June 3, 2024, a Nevada judge ruled today (November 7), according to the Associated Press. Despite publicly describing his alleged role in the rapper’s death for half a decade, Davis pleaded not guilty to his charge of murder with a deadly weapon at a hearing last Thursday (November 2).
The state of Nevada will reportedly not be seeking capital punishment for Davis if he is convicted. Per the AP, Davis’ pubilc defenders, Charles Cano and Robert Arroyo, declined to comment on the case outside of court beyond saying they intend to file for bail ahead of the trial.
Davis was arrested in September after Las Vegas police searched his home in July for evidence relating to Shakur’s murder. Read our explainer of the events leading up to Davis’ arrest for an in-depth look at the case against him.
