The man accused of being connected to the gang-feud murder of the iconic rapper Tupac Shakur, which occurred a quarter of a century ago, appeared in a U.S. court once again.
Duane “Keefe D” Davis, aged 60, faced charges last month in connection to the killing, even though he wasn’t the individual wielding the weapon during the tragic event that unfolded in Las Vegas in 1996.
Thursday’s courtroom session was initially intended to be an arraignment, but it had to be postponed due to circumstances.
The Defense attorney Ross Goodman requested a further delay, explaining that he was present to represent Davis but had not been formally hired for the case.
District Judge Tierra Jones granted the extension, remarking, “I’m going to give you two weeks, but in two weeks we’ve got to get this case moving.”
At the upcoming arraignment, Davis is expected to enter a plea in response to the charge of murder with a deadly weapon, with the intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang.
Davis has openly admitted his involvement in the slaying, previously boasting that he was the “on-site commander” during the effort to target Tupac Shakur and Death Row Records boss Marion “Suge” Knight in retaliation for an assault on his nephew.
According to Nevada law, anyone who aids or abets a murder can be charged with the killing, similar to how a getaway driver can be charged with a bank robbery, even if they never entered the bank.
Tupac Shakur, renowned as the best-selling hip-hop artist with chart-topping hits like “California Love,” “Changes,” and “Dear Mama,” was a prominent figure in the world of rap music when he was fatally shot on September 7, 1996, at the young age of 25.
Shakur was signed to Death Row Records, an entity associated at the time with the Los Angeles street gang Mob Piru, which had an ongoing rivalry with the South Side Compton Crips, a group in which Davis played a significant role.
Prosecutors revealed last month that the events of that fateful night had been widely understood for many years, but a lack of admissible evidence had hindered the progress of the case.
However, the situation started to change when Davis, who is reportedly the sole surviving individual from the car that night, published an autobiography and spoke about the crime in a television program.
This newfound information appears to have reignited legal interest in the decades-old case.
