Opening arguments expected in Tupac murder trial

Opening arguments were expected on Monday in the trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis, a former gang leader accused of orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur, 30 years after the rapper's death in Las Vegas on 7 September 1996. The trial, which could last over a month, aims to determine who fired the shots that killed Shakur during a Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand casino. Prosecutors claim Davis ordered the killing and provided the gun used in the drive-by shooting. Davis (63) was in court last week as a jury was selected; he faces life in prison if convicted. The murder of Shakur, known as 2Pac, remains one of America's most celebrated cold cases, sparking debate among fans about the perpetrator and motive. Shakur, then 25, was a key figure in the East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop rivalry. His career included hits like "California Love" and "All Eyez on Me." He was raised in Harlem and Baltimore but became a California icon after signing with Death Row Records in Los Angeles, founded by Marion "Suge" Knight. The trial revisits the conflict between Death Row and Bad Boy Records, the East Coast label created by Sean "Diddy" Combs, which signed Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, who was murdered in 1997. Prosecutors allege Death Row was protected by Mob Piru, a Los Angeles gang affiliated with the Bloods, while Bad Boy Records hired rival Compton Crips, led by Davis, as bodyguards. After the Tyson fight, Knight and Shakur allegedly assaulted Davis's nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, a Crips member, in retaliation for an alleged Death Row employee assault. Davis allegedly sought revenge, leading to a confrontation with Shakur’s car in Las Vegas. Shots were fired from a white Cadillac carrying Davis, Anderson, and others, fatally wounding Shakur. The investigation stalled due to lack of evidence, but Davis’s 2019 memoir revived the case. He claimed to be in the front seat, handing a pistol to those in the back, but did not specify who fired. Others in the Cadillac are now deceased. Davis has since denied the claims, calling them ghostwritten exaggerations, and pleaded not guilty.