Tupac Murder Suspect May Have Ordered Witness Death From Jail: Report

Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis, accused murderer of superstar rapper Tupac Shakur, may have ordered — or at least approved of — the murder of a witness in his case from jail. Prosecutors made this shocking allegation in court paperwork filed on Thursday, Dec. 28, and first reported by KLAS-TV/Las Vegas.

Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis
Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis appears for his arraignment at the Regional Justice Center, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, (Image:  Associated Press)

According to the new court filings, during an Oct. 9 phone call Davis placed to his son, Keith Davis Jr., he informed him: “Around the city, they talking about it’s a green light on our side.”

“In defendant’s world, a ‘green light’ is an authorization to kill,” prosecutors explained in the documents.

During the call, according to prosecutors, Davis inquired whether a specific person was “gone.” Davis Jr. then replied: “He was saying it’s on.”

Sometime before the phone call, prosecutors allege, the state provided a deputy public defender with a list of witnesses for the prosecution. That public defender, who was not even appointed to Davis’ case, then provided it to the defendant and his son.

“This caused enough concern that the federal government stepped in and provided resources to at least [one witness] so he could change his residence,” prosecutors said in the paperwork.

Who, Me?

This shocking new development comes as Davis, 60, is asking to be released from prison pending trial. Earlier this month, public defenders asked that he be released on his own recognizance with an ankle bracelet, or have bail set no higher than $100.

Davis has pleaded not guilty to murder with the use of a deadly weapon in Shakur’s 1996 slaying. Though he is not charged with pulling the trigger, he is accused of orchestrating the crime, which Nevada law also defines as murder.

During his arraignment, Judge Tierra Jones denied setting bail because of the murder charge. Davis has been imprisoned in Las Vegas since Sept. 29.

A hearing was scheduled for Jan. 2. Previously, prosecutors stated they would not seek the death penalty.

Corey Levitan joined Casino.org in 2022 after a long career covering Las Vegas. He currently covers entertainment, dining and gaming news in Las Vegas.

Corey spent six years covering the Vegas Strip for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where he also wrote the most popular humor column in the city’s history. (For “Fear and Loafing,” he tried out 176 Vegas jobs, including poker player, blackjack dealer and Follie Bergere dancer.)

Corey has won more than 100 local, state and national awards for his journalism, which has also appeared in Rolling Stone, New York Magazine and the New York Post.

Corey is a New York native whose hobbies include playing guitar, trying to be a better husband, and arguing with strangers on Facebook.

Contact Corey at corey@casino.org.

Comments icon

Conversation (0)

+ Add a comment

Be the first to comment on this article.

Write a comment

Your email address will not be published.