By In a significant development in the long-standing Tupac Shakur murder case, Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a former Los Angeles-area gang leader accused of orchestrating the legendary hip-hop artist’s 1996 killing in Las Vegas, is set to petition for release on a $750,000 bail.
Davis’s attorney filed documents on Thursday, prompting Judge Carli Kierny to schedule a hearing for Tuesday. The accused is seeking permission to post the substantial bond, which would allow him to be released to house arrest under electronic monitoring while awaiting his trial.
Arrested on September 29 last year, Davis has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges. He has been held at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas since his arrest. If convicted, Davis faces the possibility of life imprisonment.
The Clark County District Attorney’s office has requested a “source hearing” to ensure that any funds used for Davis’s potential release are obtained legally. This adds another layer of scrutiny to the high-profile case.
Davis, originally from Compton, California, has been living in Henderson, a Las Vegas suburb, with his wife and son in recent years. He is the only surviving member of the four individuals allegedly present in the car from which the fatal shots were fired at Shakur in September 1996.
Over the past 27 years, Davis has publicly claimed to be the orchestrator of the shooting but denies being the actual gunman. His arrest came after a renewed investigation by Las Vegas police, which included a raid on his Henderson home in July 2023.
Prosecutors argue that they have compelling evidence against Davis, citing his self-incriminating statements in various interviews and his 2019 memoir detailing his life as a Compton street gang leader. However, Davis’s defense attorney, Carl Arnold, contends that his client’s accounts are unreliable and motivated by financial gain.
The defense strategy appears to focus on challenging the prosecution’s evidence. Arnold has stated that the police lack crucial evidence, including the murder weapon and the vehicle used in the shooting. He also plans to call Marion “Suge” Knight, who was with Shakur during the attack, as a witness.
This case has garnered significant attention not only due to Shakur’s iconic status in the music world but also because it represents a potential resolution to one of hip-hop’s most infamous unsolved murders. The trial, scheduled for November 4, is expected to attract widespread media coverage and public interest.
As the legal proceedings unfold, many questions remain about the night of September 7, 1996, when Tupac Shakur was fatally shot. The upcoming bail hearing and subsequent trial may finally shed light on the events that led to the untimely death of one of rap’s most influential figures.
