Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the former Los Angeles gang leader who repeatedly claimed involvement in the killing of rapper Tupac Shakur before denying the charge at trial, was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in prison on Tuesday.
The sentence, which is likely to keep the 63-year-old behind bars for the rest of his life, comes nearly three decades after the murder of one of hip-hop’s most influential artists and years of investigations that failed to bring anyone to justice.
Davis formerly led a branch of the Crips, one of several rival gangs that controlled parts of Los Angeles during the 1990s.
For years, he appeared to speak openly about his role in Shakur’s killing, even writing in his memoir that he had ordered the murder.
Addressing Davis during sentencing in a Las Vegas courtroom, Judge Carli Kierny said he had repeatedly acknowledged his involvement in statements to law enforcement and in his book, while presenting himself as someone who had moved on with his life.
“For three years, I’ve heard you say some variation of the same thing to law enforcement… in your book, and it’s something like, ‘Yeah, I was involved in this, but I’m different. I’ve moved on. I got out of Compton. I’m a grandfather now,’” Kierny said.
“I’m here to tell you that’s not how this works.”
“You don’t get to take a man from his family. You don’t get to take his very life, his whole future from him, and just walk away from it. Especially when that man is Tupac Shakur,” the judge added.
Shakur, also known as 2Pac, was a central figure in the bitter rivalry between East Coast and West Coast hip-hop artists. He was 25 when he was shot in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996.
Evidence presented at trial indicated that Davis ordered the killing after his nephew was beaten by members of Shakur’s entourage during a confrontation at a Las Vegas casino earlier that night.
About two hours after the altercation, a white Cadillac pulled up alongside the BMW carrying Shakur at a red light. A gunman inside the Cadillac opened fire on the rapper.
According to the prosecution, Davis handed a firearm to a passenger in the back seat and instructed the person to shoot Shakur, who died from his injuries six days later.
The identity of the alleged gunman has not been definitively established. Davis is the only surviving occupant of the Cadillac from that night.
Marion “Suge” Knight, co-founder of Death Row Records and the driver of the BMW, was also wounded in the shooting.
‘Born an icon’
Shakur’s murder became one of the most high-profile unsolved cases in American music history, fuelling decades of speculation among fans about who was responsible and why.
The rapper, known for hits including “All Eyez on Me” and “California Love”, grew up in Harlem and Baltimore before becoming one of the defining figures of West Coast hip-hop after signing with Los Angeles-based Death Row Records.
The son of a Black Panther activist, Shakur was also known for addressing racial inequality, social injustice and the struggles of marginalised communities through his music.
His sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, delivered an emotional tribute to him in court on Tuesday, describing her brother as someone who “was born an icon.”
She said their mother had deliberately raised him to become a human rights advocate who stood up for vulnerable people.
“He was the person that you go to for protection,” she said.
Sekyiwa added that her brother dedicated his career to advancing the interests of his community and was generous to women, children and people in need.
“He was truly my shining star, my shining prince. He was who God trusted to take care of me,” she said.
Davis did not offer an apology or express remorse before the sentence was handed down. He said only that he intended to appeal his conviction.
AFP
