Las vegas: A jury found Duane "Keffe D" Davis guilty in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas, marking the first conviction in the decades-old case. Jurors reached the verdict in less than three hours following a trial that lasted several weeks.

According to Anadolu Agency, Davis, 63, was convicted of murder with a deadly weapon and now faces the possibility of life in prison. Despite pleading not guilty, Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal argued that Davis had procured a gun and actively sought out Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight after an altercation involving Davis' nephew earlier that evening.

Palal pointed out that, although Davis had altered his accounts over time, his statements consistently placed him inside the white Cadillac used in the shooting. "The core facts remain. The material facts remain," Palal asserted during the trial.

Defense attorney Michael Sanft countered the claims by highlighting the absence of independent evidence confirming Davis' presence in Las Vegas or inside the Cadillac. He cited the lack of surveillance footage and phone records, arguing, "They have nothing in this case that says that man was here in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996."

Over the course of nine days, the 16-member jury listened to testimonies from 24 prosecution witnesses and three defense witnesses.

The incident occurred on September 7, 1996, when Shakur, 25, was shot at a Las Vegas intersection after a white Cadillac pulled up alongside his vehicle. Shakur succumbed to his injuries six days later, while Knight survived.

Prosecutors alleged Davis played a crucial role in orchestrating the attack and providing the weapon, though they did not claim he was the one who fired the gun. "Who fired is not the question," Palal stated, emphasizing the premeditated nature of the act, noting, "It's a plan, not an impulse."