A Las Vegas jury made up of six men and 10 women was seated Thursday in the murder case against a former gang leader accused of directing the killing of Tupac Shakur, a shooting that has haunted hip-hop culture for nearly three decades.
Opening statements in the high-profile trial are scheduled to begin Monday in Las Vegas.
For Shakur’s relatives, supporters and generations of fans, the proceedings mark a long-awaited step toward answers in the 1996 drive-by attack that ended the rapper’s life as he stood at the peak of his fame.
Shakur was 25 when he was gunned down near the Las Vegas Strip, during an era when rap’s biggest names were increasingly entangled in a volatile fight for influence shaped by rival crews and gang affiliations.
Prosecutors charged Duane “Keffe D” Davis with murder three years ago, alleging he was the “shot caller” who arranged the fatal attack. Davis has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he faces the possibility of life in prison.
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The 16 jurors chosen for the case are expected to hear roughly a month of testimony. During jury selection, prospective panelists were questioned about their favorite books and films, their views on gangs and whether they had ever listened to Shakur’s music.
Decades after his death, Shakur remains one of the most influential artists in rap history. His catalog has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, driven by enduring songs such as “California Love” and “Dear Mama,” along with multiple albums released posthumously.
On Sept. 7, 1996, Shakur was riding in the passenger seat of a BMW driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight when someone in a Cadillac opened fire at a red light. Knight survived the attack, but Shakur died six days later.
Prosecutors have not accused Davis, now 63, of pulling the trigger that night, instead saying that he made the calls that led to Shakur’s death and provided the gun.
Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP, Pool
In Nevada, a person can be convicted of murder for helping another person commit the crime.
Davis is the only person still alive who was in the car where prosecutors said the fatal shots originated.
The case against Davis was revived when Davis published the book “Compton Street Legend,” about the shooting and his time in the Crips, in 2019 as well as his statements during police and media interviews.
Davis’ attorneys unsuccessfully fought to block from the trial details written in the book and said during a 2008 police interview. They argued the book was fictionalized and had a co-author, making it impossible to know which parts Davis wrote.
They also argued Davis’ previous interview with a federal task force was supposed to be confidential and not used against him.
Among those who could be called to testify in the trial is Knight, the rap music mogul whose label represented Shakur. He has continually said that he wants no part in the trial.
Knight, who is serving a 28-year sentence for running over and killing a Compton businessman in 2015, is the only surviving person who was in the car with Shakur at the time of the shooting.
Prosecutors expect to call between 35 and 45 witnesses, ranging from people who saw Shakur moments before he was shot to those who were associates of both Shakur and Davis at the time. Sean “Diddy” Combs, who Davis claimed wanted Shakur and Knight dead, will not be one of those witnesses, attorneys said.
