TUPAC WHO? Accused Shakur Killer Claims He Wasn’t Even in Las Vegas

Duane “Keffe D” Davis — the 61-year-old who previously implicated himself in the orchestration of the 1996 slaying of rap legend Tupac Shakur — now claims he was nowhere near Las Vegas at the time of the shooting.

Minutes after this photo was taken at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas, hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur (shown driven by Suge Knight, the head of his record label) was fatally shot. (Image: Corjuni)

In a motion asking Clark County District Judge Carli Kierny to push back the March 17 start date of his client’s murder trial, Davis’ attorney raised the possibility of another suspect in the murder, claiming that witnesses uncovered by a private investigator place Davis hundreds of miles away from Las Vegas at the time.

“Document requests have been sent out to the various witnesses and entities to determine the validity of some other cause of death,” defense attorney Carl Arnold wrote in the court filing, which alleged that Shakur’s murder was the work of another individual “who orchestrated the shooting.”

That’s Funny Because…

Duane “Keffe D” Davis is shown being led into a Clark County courtroom last year. (Image: CourtTV)

In his self-published 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend: Notorious Keffe D’s Street-Level Accounts of Tupac and Biggie Murders, Death Row Origins, Suge Knight, Puffy Combs, and Crooked Cops,” Davis placed himself in the front passenger seat of the white Cadillac from the which the fatal shots were fired on Sept. 7, 1996.

He also admitted providing the gun used in the shooting. (According to Nevada law, orchestrating a murder is the same as committing it one’s self.)

Davis repeated the admissions during several interviews to promote the book.

Shakur succumbed to his injuries six days later.

“This case involves decades-old allegations, and with every new piece of evidence, it becomes increasingly clear that critical facts have yet to be fully examined,” Arnold said in a statement. “We are actively conducting further investigations, speaking with key witnesses, and ensuring that Mr. Davis receives the fair trial to which he is constitutionally entitled.

“Given the magnitude of this case, it is imperative that we have adequate time to present a comprehensive defense.”

A Clark County grand jury arrested and indicted Davis in September 2023. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

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.

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