Duane "Keffe D" Davis was sentenced on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, to 40 years to life in prison for the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur. Judge Carli Kierny issued the sentence in a Las Vegas, Nevada, court, following Davis' conviction in August on charges of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon. The sentence includes a mandatory 20-year enhancement for profiting from the crime.
The murder of Shakur, who was 25 years old at the time of his death, remained unsolved for nearly 30 years. The case reached a turning point after Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, began discussing his involvement in media interviews and his 2019 memoir, "Compton Street Legend." Davis is the only person who has ever been charged or convicted in connection with the fatal shooting.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Davis coordinated the Sept. 7, 1996, ambush as an act of retaliation. According to court testimony, Shakur and music executive Marion "Suge" Knight had beaten Davis' nephew, Orlando Anderson, hours before the shooting. Davis was accused of providing the weapon and riding in the front passenger seat of a white Cadillac that pulled alongside Shakur's vehicle at a red light and opened fire. While Shakur died six days later from his injuries, Knight survived the attack.
The sentencing concludes a legal process for a homicide that affected the family of Tupac Shakur and the surviving victim, Marion Knight. For the family, the case had remained open since 1996. Sekyiwa "Set" Shakur, the victim's sister, stated in court that her brother was a protector and father figure for his extended family and community, arguing that the loss warranted the maximum possible penalty.
The 63-year-old defendant now faces at least 40 years of incarceration, with Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo stating that Davis is "guaranteed to die" behind bars regardless of the specific penalty. The legal proceedings utilized evidence including Davis' own 2019 memoir. The court applied a 20-year sentencing enhancement because Davis sought to profit from the homicide through his media accounts and book sales.
Defense attorney Michael Sanft argued that no physical evidence, such as surveillance footage or phone logs, linked Davis to Las Vegas on the night of the shooting, and he signaled plans to appeal based on the length of time prosecutors waited to bring the case. For now, the sentencing stands, and Judge Kierny ordered that Davis receive credit for time already served.