Nearly three decades after the fatal shooting of Tupac Shakur, a Las Vegas jury has convicted Duane “Keffe D” Davis of first-degree murder for orchestrating the attack that claimed the life of the influential rapper and actor.

Davis, 63, was found guilty of murder with the use of a deadly weapon on Monday, Aug. 31. Jurors deliberated for less than three hours following an 11-day trial. He now faces the possibility of life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for Oct. 13. His attorneys have indicated that they plan to appeal the verdict.

Shakur was shot on Sept. 7, 1996 and died six days later at the age of 25. 

Prosecutors argued that Davis organized the shooting as retaliation for the casino altercation, which involved his nephew, Orlando Anderson. Although Davis was not accused of firing the weapon, prosecutors maintained that he obtained the gun, helped plan the attack and was inside the Cadillac when the shooting occurred.

The prosecution relied heavily on statements Davis made through the years, including comments during interviews, recorded conversations with investigators and details published in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend. Prosecutors said Davis’ own accounts placed him at the center of the plot.

Under Nevada law, a person can be held criminally responsible for a murder if they aided or directed the crime, even if they did not pull the trigger.
Davis was the only surviving person believed to have been inside the Cadillac. The other three men connected to the vehicle—including Anderson, who denied involvement before his death in 1998—have since died.

Shakur’s murder occurred during a turbulent era in hip-hop marked by highly publicized tensions between artists associated with the East and West coasts.

Six months after his death, fellow rap icon Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace was killed in Los Angeles. That case remains unsolved.