Prosecutors presented autopsy photographs Tuesday during the second day of testimony in the trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who is charged in connection with the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur. The presentation led several members of Shakur’s family to exit the Las Vegas courtroom, while others remained to hear forensic details regarding the shooting.
The 1996 drive-by shooting occurred in Las Vegas while Shakur was riding in a vehicle with hip-hop mogul Marion “Suge” Knight. Davis, 63, is accused of orchestrating the attack rather than pulling the trigger himself. He has pleaded not guilty to murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang.
Dr. Lisa Gavin, a Clark County forensic pathologist, testified as an expert witness because the original medical examiner from 30 years ago has since died. She described three bullet wounds, noting that one projectile traveled through Shakur’s chest and lung, necessitating the surgical removal of the lung before he died six days later. Jurors were shown images of the rapper’s body, which displayed chest wounds, bloating, and medical tubes used during his hospital stay.
The prosecution presented surveillance footage from the MGM Grand showing a physical altercation involving Shakur’s entourage and Davis’s nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, following a Mike Tyson fight. Prosecutors allege the shooting was an act of revenge for this earlier clash. Former Las Vegas police officer Dean O’Kelley testified to finding cartridges at the crime scene and searching for a white Cadillac reported to be carrying four men.
The testimony and evidence presented, including graphic autopsy photos and 30-year-old surveillance footage, illustrate the challenges of prosecuting a cold case where original investigators and witnesses may no longer be available. For the family, the process offers a form of closure; Shakur’s cousin, Zayd Akinyela, stated that hearing the specific details of the injuries helped his family understand what happened after 30 years of waiting.
Legal proceedings will continue to examine the prosecution's claim that the shooting was a retaliatory gang action. The defense, led by attorney Michael Sanft, characterized the prosecution's narrative as "fiction," arguing that Davis’s previous self-implicating statements in memoirs and interviews were unreliable and that law enforcement had long been aware of his claims without filing charges. The trial will continue in the Clark County court system to determine Davis's involvement in the events of September 1996.