Tupac Shakur's murderer Keffe D receives prison sentence
Duane 'Keffe D' Davis has received 40 years to life in prison after being found guilty of murdering rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996.
The sentencing by Judge Carli Kierny comes for than 30 years on from the fatal drive-by shooting in which the American rapper was killed in Las Vegas.
Tupac died six days on from the horrifying attack, after being shot numerous times.
Prosecutors noted that although Davis did not fire the gun, he was the ringleader of the group that committed the murder.
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The conviction took nearly three decades to secure, as investigators struggled to gather sufficient evidence to build a case that could stand up in court.
Police struggled to find enough evidence directly connecting a suspect to the shooting. The other three men believed to have been in the Cadillac with Davis subsequently died, making it harder to establish exactly what happened that day.
The presumed motive behind Tupac's murder was revenge following a fight at a Las Vegas casino on the night he was shot.
Prosecutors argued that the shooting was retaliation after Tupac and members of his entourage assaulted Orlando Anderson, the nephew of Davis, at the MGM Grand Hotel on September 7, 1996.
Much of the prosecution's case focused on the defendant's own words about the deadly encounter, which he wrote about at length in his 2019 memoir - even admitting that he had provided the gun used in the crime.
The 63-year-old was subsequently arrested in 2023 and has been held in custody ever since.
During proceedings, Davis' lawyers argued that his accounts were fabricated, claiming he had embellished his involvement to boost book sales and profit from the notoriety surrounding the case.
In the memoir, Davis claimed that the ordeal 'happened so quickly'.
He added: "Tupac made an erratic move and began to reach down beneath the seat...and that’s when the fireworks started.
"One of my guys from the back seat grabbed the Glock and started bustin’ back."
Despite the nature of the crime, the gang leader has expressed 'remorse' for the murder.
"At this point in my life, I can say that I have a deep sense of remorse for what happened to Tupac," he wrote.
"He was a talented artist with tons of potential to impact the world. I hate that Tupac’s family, friends and fans, especially his mother, Afeni Shakur, had to go through the pain of losing her son. It’s terrible losing people like that; I know that pain too well."
Mia Williams