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A Las Vegas court has found former Los Angeles gang leader Duane "Keffe D" Davis guilty of the 1996 murder of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur, bringing one of America's most enduring cold cases closer to closure nearly 30 years after the killing.
A jury on Monday convicted the 63-year-old of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon after only a few hours of deliberation.
Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, now faces a possible sentence of life imprisonment without parole. Following the verdict, he told the court he intends to appeal the conviction.
Prosecutors said Davis orchestrated the fatal shooting after his nephew was allegedly assaulted by members of Shakur's entourage during a confrontation at a Las Vegas casino on September 7, 1996.
According to the prosecution, Davis obtained a firearm, assembled members of his group and ordered the attack on the rapper later that night.
Shakur, who was in Las Vegas to attend a Mike Tyson heavyweight boxing match, was shot while riding in a BMW after a white Cadillac pulled alongside the vehicle at a traffic light. He died six days later at the age of 25.
Authorities said Davis handed the murder weapon to another occupant of the Cadillac and instructed the gunman to open fire. Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight, who was driving the BMW, was also wounded but survived.
Davis is the only surviving occupant of the Cadillac and the only person ever charged in connection with the killing.
The case remained unsolved for decades before investigators revived it following the publication of Davis' 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, in which he discussed his alleged involvement in the shooting.
During the trial, prosecutors relied on excerpts from the book as well as recordings of Davis' previous statements to law enforcement and media outlets.
The defence argued that the memoir and other public comments were fabricated to promote the book and insisted there was no physical evidence linking Davis to the murder beyond his own statements.
Sentencing has been scheduled for October 13.
Tupac Shakur, widely regarded as one of hip-hop's greatest artists, rose to global fame with hits including California Love and All Eyez on Me. His death became a defining moment in the East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry and one of the most closely followed unsolved crimes in music history.
