Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the man accused of orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur, has made a shocking claim in his trial in Las Vegas. According to a recording of a police interview with Davis in 2008, he handed the gun used in the drive-by shooting to a passenger who then passed it to his nephew, who opened fire on the rapper.
New Twist in Tupac Murder Case
Davis is on trial, charged with one count of murder with a deadly weapon over the killing of the rap superstar in 1996. Prosecutors allege that although Davis did not fire the gun that killed Shakur, he ordered the shooting and supplied the deadly weapon to further criminal conduct for the gang he helped lead. His lawyer, Michael Sanft, has argued that what his client had previously said of his involvement cannot be believed.
In the 2008 police interview, Davis described the moment the Cadillac he was a passenger in stopped alongside the car Shakur was in. “Yeah, if we would’ve been on my side, I would’ve blasted,” Davis said, according to a transcript. According to the transcript, Davis said in the interview he passed his gun back to Deandre “Big Dre” Smith, but Smith did not want the weapon. Anderson, who was also in the back seat, took the weapon and started firing, Davis said.
Davis' Changing Story
Prosecutors say any agreement to keep Davis' information confidential was negated when he went public with his version in his memoir, Compton Street Legend, several years later. In the book, Davis claimed he was inside the vehicle when Tupac was shot, and “tossed” the gun used to kill him into the backseat. Davis has since distanced himself from the book, saying he did not write all of it and that parts were fictionalized to sell more copies.
In the interview played to court, Davis said he repeatedly spoke with Sean “Diddy” Combs and discussed killing Shakur. The detectives questioned Davis about meetings with Combs during Bad Boy Records tour stops in San Diego, Anaheim, Irvine, and Las Vegas. “Which of those four is it when you talk to him about murdering Tupac?” Kading asked, according to a transcript shown in court. “It was really about both of them, yeah, either one of them,” Davis responded.
Gang War and Motive
Prosecutors allege that Davis planned the 7 September 1996 shooting after his nephew Orlando Anderson was involved in a fight with Shakur in Las Vegas hours earlier. They argue that Davis believed the attack on his nephew could not “go unanswered”. Central to the case are testimonies by Davis in the formerly secret 2008 police interview and, later, in his memoir.
Representatives for Combs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Davis' lawyer Sanft asked jurors earlier in the trial: “What facts do you have to support any of what Keffe D said in any of his interviews or the book?” Sanft has also said prosecution witnesses were unreliable and the police investigation was riddled with issues.
What's Next in the Trial
A former Las Vegas homicide detective told the jury earlier this week that no witnesses had been able to identify the shooter. Later, a former member of Shakur's entourage, James “Mob James” McDonald, gave evidence that even though he was not there to witness the shooting, those who were there that night within Shakur’s circle had quickly communicated who was responsible. The trial is ongoing, with Davis' lawyer continuing to question the reliability of his client's testimony and the prosecution's case.
Source: Joy Online
