Man Facing Trial Over Orchestrating the Murder of Tupac Shakur Claims He Didn't Kill Rap Legend in New Jailhouse Interview — But He Knows Who Did
Duane 'Keffe D' Davis is set to go on trial for the death of Tupac Shakur.
Aug. 6 2026, Published 3:09 p.m. ET
The man accused of orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur has once again proclaimed his innocence just days before his trial for the 1996 killing of the rap legend is set to begin, RadarOnline.com can report.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis insists he wasn't even in Nevada when Shakur was gunned down just outside of Las Vegas. But he insists that he knows who did pull the trigger – and he's ready to talk.
Nearly 30 Years Passed Before a Suspect Was Arrested
The rap legend was gunned down near Las Vegas in 1996.
On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times by an unidentified assailant in a drive-by shooting in Paradise, Nevada. He died six days later at age 25.
More than twenty-seven years later, Davis was taken into custody. The 63-year-old's trial is set to begin Monday, August 10, where he will face a single count of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in Shakur's death.
Duane Davis Reveals Who Really 'Killed' Tupac Shakur
Davis was arrested in 2023, after confessing to the murder in a tell-all book.
Davis has been jailed since late 2023 and has pleaded not guilty. The lone suspect told KLAS in a jailhouse interview that he was set up, and pointed a finger at another former suspect.
"To me, I think their witness, (Death Row Records former security chief) Reggie Wright Jr."
"All he do is lie and tell stories. He even be on the interviews threatening my son, threatening my family," he continued. "It's wrong. Even (retired LAPD detective Greg) Kading be on them interviews threatening my family. It’s wrong, man. Period. It's wrong."
Duane Davis Said He Only Confessed to the Killing to Make Money
His lawyer has filed an appeal to dismiss the charges that Davis was involved in the death of Shakur.
He made a previous confession in a book, claiming that he was one of four people in the car when Shakur was killed.
However, Davis, a notorious member of the California-based gang known as The South Side Compton Crips, said his admission was just a ploy to make money for his family.
Davis has remained in custody on $750,000 bail since he was arrested in connection with Shakur's murder. His attorney, Carl Arnold, also indicated his client made false public statements about the killing and should not be taken seriously.
Additionally, Arnold alleged that Davis' constitutional rights were violated after his previous confessions.
"Mr. Davis cooperated with law enforcement over the course of more than a decade, relying on repeated assurances that his statements would not be used against him – yet those very statements now form the core of the State's case," Arnold said in a statement.
He also stood by Davis' claim that he wasn't in Nevada at the time.
But in 2024, prosecutors filed new evidence that revealed Davis' wife made a hotel reservation in Sin City in her name when the murder occurred.
Duane Davis Not Interested in a Plea Deal
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Prosecutors want to prove Davis 'orchestrated' the gang hit on the rapper.
The trial, which is expected to last about a month, likely won't answer who specifically pulled the trigger that ended Shakur's life.
Instead, prosecutors hope to prove that Davis was the shot caller and provided the weapon for the attack. But Davis is apparently looking forward to his day in court and has no interest in a plea deal for a potentially reduced prison sentence.
"I'm 63. I had a cancer battle, and I got three stents to my heart, and the average American lives like 74 years old," he said. "10 years, I'm dead. I'm not going to do that. You know what I'm saying? I’m not going to take a deal like that."
