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Tupac murder trial begins
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Duane Davis, 63, faces trial for orchestrating Tupac Shakur's 1996 killing.
The trial could finally answer hip-hop's biggest mystery after 30 years.
Background
Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in 1996, a case that remained unsolved for decades. Duane 'Keffe D' Davis, a former gang leader, was arrested in 2023 and is the only person ever charged. The trial began with opening statements on August 17, 2026, nearly 30 years after the rapper's death.
How it unfolded
- Sep 7, 1996Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.
- 2023Duane Davis was arrested and charged with murder with a deadly weapon.
- Aug 13, 2026Jury selection concluded in Clark County District Court.
- Aug 17, 2026Opening statements began in the trial; prosecutors alleged Davis orchestrated the shooting as revenge for an attack on his nephew.
Who’s saying what
- Prosecution
- Davis orchestrated the shooting in retaliation for an attack on his nephew earlier that night.
- Defense
- Davis's lawyers plan to call an expert on false confessions, suggesting his admissions were unreliable.
Still unverified
Davis's own statements about his role, made in interviews and a tell-all book he now claims he did not write, are disputed by the defense.