Tupac Shakur murder suspect files appeal with Nevada Supreme Court to dismiss charges
FILE-Duane "Keffe D" Davis appears in a Las Vegas court on October 19, 2023 for his arraignment on murder charges in the death of rapper Tupac Shakur. (Photo by JOHN LOCHER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The man accused of murdering Tupac Shakur has filed an appeal with the Nevada Supreme Court to have charges against him dismissed.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis made the appeal with the court on Tuesday after a lower court judge upheld his charges, the Associated Press reported.
Tupac murder suspect back in court today
Duane "Kefee D" Davis the man suspected in the murder of Tupac Shakur is set to be arraigned Thursday. The 60-year-old was indicted by a Clark County grand jury on one count of open murder with use of a deadly weapon with a gang enhancement last month, nearly 30 years after Tupac's death. Davis first appeared in court earlier this month, though his arraignment was postponed after he told the judge his lawyer, who was not present, needed a continuance of two weeks. Shakur died on September 7th 1996.
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The 62-year-old was arrested in September 2023 and is the only man ever to be charged in the acclaimed rapper’s murder. Davis pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.
Tupac Shakur suspect arrested: more details
A man who prosecutors say ordered the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur was arrested and charged with murder. Duane ?Keffe D? Davis has long been known to investigators as one of four suspects identified early in the investigation. LiveNOW's Andy Mac spoke about with hip-hop journalist and FOX 5 reporter Lisa Evers about the breakthrough in the case and how impactful news of the shooting was 26 years ago. More LiveNOW from FOX streaming video
According to the Associated Press, Carl Arnold, an attorney for Davis, first filed a motion to dismiss his client’s case in January 2025, claiming constitutional violations because of a 27-year delay in prosecution. Arnold also said Davis had immunity agreements granted to him by federal and local authorities.
Who is Duane "Keffe D" Davis?
The backstory:
Duane "Keffe D" Davis, a former gang leader, is the alleged orchestrator of the drive-by shooting that killed Tupac Shakur.
Davis admitted in interviews and in his 2019 tell-all memoir, "Compton Street Legend," that he provided the gun used in the shooting of Shakur.
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Tupac suspect arrested, fmr. detective weighs in
The man charged in Tupac Shakur's murder, had been on investigators radar for years, former LAPD lead detective Greg Kading said. Duane "Keffe D" Davis is now the only person alive who was allegedly in the car the night the legendary rapper was killed in a drive-by shooting. LiveNOW's Carel Lajara spoke with Kading about the years-long investigation that led to Davis' arrest. More LiveNOW from FOX streaming video
After his 2023 arrest, Davis requested his release from jail claiming that he arranged the shooting of the rap star but wasn't the shooter.
Davis is the only individual still alive of the four men who were in a car where gunshots were fired in September 7, 1996, killing Shakur and wounding rap mogul Suge Knight after a fight fight broke out between Shakur and Davis' nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, at the MGM Grand hotel-casino following a heavyweight championship boxing match won by Mike Tyson.
RELATED: Tupac Shakur murder arrest: Who is Duane "Keffe D" Davis?
The three other men in the car, Anderson, DeAndre "Big Dre" or "Freaky" Smith, and Terrence "Bubble Up" Brown, were all killed in separate shooting incidents years later.
The AP reported that Davis is still in custody at the Clark County Detention Center and his trial is scheduled to start in February 2026.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by previous LIVENOW from FOX reporting and the Associated Press. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.