Keffe D Sentenced to 40 Years to Life in Tupac Murder

Nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas, the man prosecutors say orchestrated the killing has been sentenced to spend at least 40 years behind bars.

Judge Carli Kierny sentenced Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, to 40 years to life in prison on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Davis had been facing a maximum of life without parole. A jury convicted him on Aug. 31 of murder with the use of a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang, after deliberating for less than three hours.

Shakur's 1996 killing went unsolved for decades. Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, spent years describing his role in the shooting in interviews and in his 2019 tell-all memoir. He was arrested in September 2023 and has been in custody ever since.

At sentencing, prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo pointed to Davis' criminal history and argued that because Davis had tried to profit off a killing he committed, he did not deserve the minimum sentence. DiGiacomo said Davis is "guaranteed to die" behind bars.

Defense attorney Michael Sanft argued that the only evidence tying his client to the killing was Davis' own statements, and questioned why the case took nearly 30 years if Davis had truly confessed. Sanft said he plans to appeal.

Davis spoke briefly during the hearing, asking the judge to return personal property and photos taken from his home. He also sought credit for 1,111 days already served, which the judge denied because that time had been applied to another case.

Before imposing the sentence, Kierny told Davis he could not simply walk away after taking a life, especially Shakur's.