Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis: 5 Things to Know About the Suspect in Tupac Shakur’s Murder Case

After police arrested the gang member in connection with Tupac Shakur’s murder, find out everything you need to know about Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis.

• Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis is a gang member.
• Duane had long spoken about being a witness to Tupac Shakur’s murder.
• Duane was arrested for Tupac’s murder on September 29, 2023.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis was arrested in connection to Tupac Shakur’s 1996 murder on Friday, September 29, 2023. The gang member, 60, had been outspoken in the past, claiming that he knew who had killed the legendary rapper in the drive-by shooting on the Las Vegas Strip on September 7, 1996. Investigations into Tupac’s death have been ongoing for nearly 30 years, but Duane is the first arrest made.

As the historic case continues, find out everything you need to know about Duane and his alleged involvement in Tupac’s death here.

Duane Was Indicted on One Count of Murder

Duane was arrested after he was charged with one count of murder with a deadly weapon by a Clark County grand jury on Friday, September 29, 2023, per The New York Times. He was arrested, and a mughsot photo was taken. Despite the arrest, Sheriff Kevin McMahill said that the investigation was “far from over,” in a press conference, per CNN. 

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Lieutenant Jason Johansson explained what people believed Keffe D’s involvement was in the press conference. “I think the best way to characterize that is Duane Davis was the shot caller for this group of individuals that committed this crime and he orchestrated the plan that was carried out to commit this crime,” he said.

He was a Member of the South Side Compton Crips

Duane had claimed to member of the South Side Compton Crips gang, which had been suspected of involvement in Tupac’s murder in a 2002 Los Angeles Times report. A warrant had been placed for an investigation into Duane’s home in July 2023, and it claimed he was affiliated with the gang, per NBC News. 

He Claimed He Was in the Car During Tupac’s Murder in His Book

Duane had spoken multiple times about being involved in Tupac’s murder and said he had knowledge of who had killed the rapper. In 2019, he wrote the memoir Compton Street Legend, where he said that he was in the car when the drive-by took place, per The Associated Press. 

He Confessed to Being Involved with the Murder in 2018

Duane first confessed to his involvement in a 2018 interview with the Unsolved docuseries about the deaths of Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. He claimed that he was diagnosed with cancer, explaining it as his reason for coming forward. “People have been pursuing me for 20 years, I’m coming out now because I have cancer. And I have nothing else to lose. All I care about now is the truth,” he said, via Daily Mail. 

In the documentary, he said he was in the car when his nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson allegedly shot Tupac. He had first made the confessions during a taped discussion with Detective Greg Kading when he had immunity, per LA Weekly. He recounted being in the car and making a u-turn to go to Tupac’s car. He also claimed that at first he thought that Suge Knight was dead in the shooting.

He Was Childhood Friends With Eazy-E

Tupac’s death isn’t the only connection that Duane has to the rap world. He was friends with NWA rapper Eazy-E, per Hot New Hip Hop. He claimed the late rapper was offered a spot on Death Row Records’ roster before Dr. Dre in a VladTV interview.