Jurors in the murder trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis heard audio on Thursday from a 2008 police interview in which Davis identified his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, as the person who shot rapper Tupac Shakur. Davis, now 63, is charged with orchestrating the 1996 killing of Shakur in Las Vegas. Anderson, who Davis claimed was in the vehicle with him during the shooting, had been dead for ten years at the time of the 2008 recorded statement.
The 2008 interview was originally conducted by Los Angeles detectives investigating the 1997 death of the Notorious B.I.G. During the recorded conversation, Davis told investigators that he was traveling in a white Cadillac with Anderson and two other men when they pulled alongside a vehicle carrying Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight. Davis stated he passed a weapon to the back seat, where Anderson allegedly took the gun and fired at Shakur’s vehicle.
Prosecutors argued that while detectives originally told Davis the 2008 interview was confidential, Davis later nullified any immunity by speaking publicly about the event in podcasts and a 2019 memoir titled "Compton Street Legend." The state alleges the shooting was retaliation for an earlier physical altercation involving Shakur’s entourage and Anderson at the MGM Grand. Davis has pleaded not guilty, and his defense attorney told the jury that Davis’s past claims were "fiction" and lacked supporting physical evidence.
The scale of the evidence presented involves multiple recorded statements and a published memoir spanning over 15 years. The jury must weigh Davis’s 2008 admission against his conflicting statements to the FBI—in which he reportedly claimed his nephew was not involved—and his defense’s argument that he was fabricating stories for notoriety. The outcome hinges on whether the jury believes Davis's self-incriminating accounts or his lawyer's characterization that he was "full of crap" and that the prosecution's narrative is unsupported by forensic proof.
The case also sets a precedent regarding the use of "proffers" or confidential law enforcement interviews. A conviction would demonstrate that public statements made years after a confidential agreement can be used to void past protections, potentially changing how legal counsel advises clients during historical investigations. The trial is currently ongoing in Las Vegas, with further witness testimony and evidence from Davis's public interviews expected to be presented before the jury reaches a verdict.