Rapper Tupac Shakur was shot dead in Las Vegas in 1996 at the age of 25. The police are reopening the investigation almost 27 years later.
Breakthrough in rapper Tupac Shakur’s murder case: Las Vegas police have arrested Duane “Keffe D” Davis – he is charged with the murder of the star rapper.
Police confirmed in a press conference Friday that Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been charged with the murder of Tupac Shakur. “Tupac Shakur waited 27 years for justice,” says the senior police officer. So long, he adds, that a former detective assigned to the case has since retired. “It took countless hours, even decades of work by the homicide squad to get to where we are today,” said the police officer. This is reported by “BBC”.
Davis is the last living witness – and was the “mastermind” behind Tupac’s murder
District Attorney Steve Wolfson said Davis, who was just charged with Shakur’s murder, will appear in court in the next few days. “After working on the case for months, we concluded that there was sufficient evidence to justify these charges,” he added. According to officials, Duane Davis is the only remaining suspect in the murder of Tupac Shakur. “All other three suspects are deceased,” police said.
In one of their final responses, police say Davis was the “shot caller” of the group he was with the night Tupac Shakur was shot. “He orchestrated the plan that was carried out to commit this crime,” Jason Johansson said before he and the other officers left the briefing room.
“Keffe D” arrested and charged with murder of rapper Tupac Shakur
Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 60, was arrested by Las Vegas police early Friday morning, Sky News reports. Keffe has said in interviews and in his memoirs that he sat in the passenger seat of the white Cadillac that pulled up near the vehicle carrying Tupac Shakur after a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon in Las Vegas in 1996. The then 25-year-old rapper was shot four times. Tupac died in a hospital a few weeks later.
Shooting at rapper Tupac Shakur: Suspect is uncle of his biggest rival
There is a “great suspicion” that former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis is responsible for Shakur’s murder, said prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo on Friday in Las Vegas. A Clark County grand jury indicted Davis on charges of murder with the use of a deadly weapon and with intent to aid, promote or assist a criminal gang, the prosecutor said in court Friday. This is reported by the “New York Times”. The prosecutor said Davis is in custody.
The arrest represents a long-awaited breakthrough in the case. Tupac was killed on the Las Vegas Strip 27 years ago. The case came back into focus in July when the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department served a search warrant on a home in Henderson, Nev., that was linked to Davis.
Davis is the uncle of Anderson, a known rival of Tupac who authorities have long suspected of being involved in the rapper’s death. At the time, Anderson denied any involvement in Shakur’s murder and died two years later in a shootout with another gang.
Tupac Shakur is one of the most famous figures on the West Coast scene
Shakur was one of the key figures in the industry-fueled competition between rappers from the US East and West Coasts. Although he was born in New York, he moved to California with his family as a teenager. There he became one of the most famous figures on the West Coast scene.
Just six months after Shakur’s death, his East Coast rival Christopher “The Notorious BIG” Wallace was shot and killed. Many therefore believe that both musicians were murdered as part of a rivalry between their music labels in Los Angeles and New York. However, music historians emphasize that the rivalry was played up for commercial reasons.
Shakur’s mother Afeni was active in the Black Panther movement and named her son after Tupac Amaru, a revolutionary Inca ruler. His songs mostly dealt with the problems of black Americans – from police violence to mass incarceration.
With his fierce lyrics and stage presence, Shakur is still considered one of hip hop’s most influential musicians. He sold a total of 75 million albums. His hits included “California Love,” “Changes,” “Dear Mama” and “All Eyez On Me.”