Las vegas: The criminal trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis began Monday in Las Vegas, Nevada in connection with the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. Davis, 63, is charged with one count of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in Shakur's death, with prosecutors stating in their opening arguments that he orchestrated, planned, and directed the fatal shooting in an act of revenge.

According to Anadolu Agency, Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors during opening statements that although Davis did not pull the trigger, he planned the shooting in retaliation for the beating of his nephew. Palal emphasized Davis's "visceral anger" at Shakur over the years, suggesting that the prosecution's case would include Davis's own words as evidence. Davis has pleaded not guilty, with his defense attorneys arguing a "lack of facts in the case."

Prosecutors presented jurors with a video showing Shakur's entourage attacking Davis's nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, inside the MGM Grand just hours before the shooting on September 7, 1996. They alleged that Davis subsequently spent two hours planning his revenge.

Earlier interviews from 1998 and 1999 show Davis admitting to being in Las Vegas the night of the shooting but denying involvement. However, a 2008 interview with a federal task force investigating the killing of Shakur's rival, the Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace), revealed Davis discussing Shakur's shooting. He reportedly admitted to providing a gun to the men in the back seat of a white Cadillac, who then fired on Shakur's vehicle.

This admission eventually led to charges against Davis, with prosecutors highlighting his inability to remain silent about the incident. "And now 30 years later, we're going to ask you to finally hold Duane Davis accountable," Palal told the jury.

Davis also co-authored a 2019 memoir, "Compton Street Legend," which prosecutors claim contains details of his involvement in Shakur's murder. Despite this, Davis's attorneys maintain that the state lacks a solid case, with attorney Michael Sanft arguing that the state's representation of the evidence as fact is misleading.