The trial for Duane “Keefe D” Davis, the only person ever charged in connection with the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur, has been pushed back nearly a year.
Originally set for mid-March, the trial will now begin on Feb. 9, 2026.
The delay comes after Davis’ defense team requested more time to interview witnesses they say can prove he wasn’t present when Shakur was gunned down in a Las Vegas drive-by shooting, according to ABC News.
“It looks like there are quite a few things that are left to be done to get this case prepared so that Mr. Davis can have effective assistance of counsel,” Judge Carli Kierny said during a brief hearing, per ABC.
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Shakur was shot multiple times on the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 7, 1996, while riding with rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight. A Cadillac pulled up beside them, and someone inside opened fire. Shakur died days later at the age of 25. Knight was also wounded in the incident.
Prosecutors claim Davis was the mastermind behind the murder, alleging he obtained and provided the weapon used in the shooting.
In a motion filed on Feb. 14, by Davis’ attorney, Carl Arnold, he noted that a private investigator hired by the defense has found “several witnesses” who contradict the official account of the killing. He also suggested an alternative theory, claiming that Reggie Wright Jr., a former Compton police officer and Death Row Records security chief, and his team were responsible.
Wright, who testified before the grand jury that indicted Davis, denied the allegations in a call with ABC News.
Meanwhile, Arnold said prosecutors need to do more leg work.
“With every new piece of evidence, it becomes increasingly clear that critical facts have yet to be fully examined,” Arnold said in a statement to ABC. “We are actively conducting further investigations, speaking with key witnesses, and ensuring that Mr. Davis receives the fair trial to which he is constitutionally entitled. Given the magnitude of this case, it is imperative that we have adequate time to present a comprehensive defense.”
Davis has previously admitted in interviews and in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, that he was in the Cadillac when Shakur was shot, though he insists someone else pulled the trigger.
Shakur’s murder remained unsolved for decades until Las Vegas police executed a search warrant in July 2023, renewing the investigation.
Davis was arrested on Sept. 29, 2023 outside a home in suburban Henderson, Nev., where the search warrant was served.
He now faces charges of murder with a deadly weapon and intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang.
He remains in custody without bail and declined to testify before the grand jury. If convicted, Davis could spend the rest of his life in prison.
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