Trial Date Set for Murder of Tupac Shakur Nearly 30 Years After Shooting

Accident – Death – Obituary News : The trial date for the murder of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur has finally been set, almost three decades after he was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. According to the Associated Press (AP), a Nevada judge has scheduled the trial for June 3, 2024, in which Duane “Keffe D” Davis is charged with involvement in Shakur’s 1996 murder. Last week, Davis pleaded not guilty to the charge of open murder with the use of a deadly weapon with a gang enhancement.

Davis, a former member of the notorious gang Compton Crips, is the uncle of the late Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, who was previously identified as a suspect in Shakur’s murder but was never charged with any crimes. Anderson was killed in a shooting in 1998.

Currently, Keffe D remains in custody in Las Vegas as his legal team contemplates filing documents seeking his release on bail ahead of the trial next summer, as reported by AP.

Defense attorneys Charles Cano and Robert Arroyo, representing Davis, declined to comment on the case outside the court, stating that they have not yet had enough time to thoroughly examine the “voluminous” evidence presented by prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo.

The incident occurred on September 7, 1996, when Shakur was targeted in Las Vegas as he was leaving the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon fight at the MGM Grand and heading to a nightclub with Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight. A white Cadillac pulled up next to their vehicle on the passenger side, and an unidentified gunman fired 14 shots. Shakur was struck four times and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital on September 13, 1996.

Davis has been on investigators’ radar for quite some time and has admitted in interviews and his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” that he was present in the Cadillac from which the fatal shots were fired 27 years ago. He claims to be one of the last living witnesses to the shooting.

In another development related to Tupac, his brother Mopreme Shakur recently revealed that the rapper had contemplated signing with Bad Boy Records before ultimately sealing a deal with the infamous Death Row Records. The feud between Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. is one of the most notorious conflicts in rap history, and Mopreme disclosed that the two rivals were almost labelmates. He shared with The Art Of Dialogue that before Tupac’s association with Death Row, he had been considering joining the iconic label.

The announcement of the trial date brings renewed hope for justice in the high-profile murder case that has captivated the music world for decades. As the trial approaches, attention will undoubtedly be focused on the proceedings and the potential revelations that may emerge, shedding new light on the tragic loss of one of hip-hop’s most influential figures.

[Image: Duane “Keffe D” Davis seen in Las Vegas’ Clark County District Court on November 7, 2023. CREDIT: Steve Marcus-Pool/Getty Images].