Tupac Shakur murder suspect takes center stage at trial nearly 30 years after shooting shocked music world

Nearly 30 years aft rapper Tupac Shakur was fatally changeable successful Las Vegas, the lone idiosyncratic ever charged successful his sidesplitting is acceptable to spell connected trial.

Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, is scheduled to basal proceedings opening Monday connected a execution complaint successful the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed Shakur, 1 of hip-hop’s astir influential artists.

Davis has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors bash not impeach him of firing the shot, but allege helium helped program the onslaught and provided the weapon utilized successful the shooting.

Shakur was changeable Sept. 7, 1996, portion riding successful a BMW driven by Death Row Records laminitis Marion "Suge" Knight adjacent the Las Vegas Strip. He died six days aboriginal astatine property 25.

LAWYERS FOR SUSPECTED TUPAC SHAKUR KILLER CLAIM HIS WORDS WERE TWISTED, WANT HIM RELEASED FROM JAIL 

Tupac was calved successful New York and raised successful Baltimore and Oakland earlier claiming Los Angeles arsenic his home. (Raymond Boyd)

Hours earlier the shooting, Shakur, Knight and others were progressive successful a combat astatine the MGM Grand with Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, Davis’ nephew and a subordinate of the South Side Compton Crips.

Prosecutors accidental Davis, Anderson, Deandrae "Freaky" Smith and Terry "Bubble Up" Brown were aboriginal riding successful a achromatic Cadillac that pulled alongside Shakur’s car and opened fire.

Davis is the lone 1 of the 4 inactive alive.

Tupac Shakur and his East Coast rival, Biggie, were killed six months apart. (Getty Images)

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

Authorities agelong suspected Anderson was the gunman, though grounds presented successful the lawsuit has besides raised the anticipation that Smith fired the shots.

No execution limb was recovered.

SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST TRUE CRIME NEWS

According to the Associated Press, prosecutors anticipation to beryllium that Davis called the shots successful and provided the weapon utilized successful the crime. Gunfire came from the Cadillac that Davis was in, and he's 1 of the lone radical determination that nighttime who is inactive alive.

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Davis has acknowledged being successful the Cadillac and discussed the sidesplitting successful interviews and successful his 2019 memoir, "Compton Street Legend." Prosecutors accidental those statements assistance found his relation successful the attack.

Duane "Keffe D" Davis enters a courtroom successful Clark County District Court for a proceedings readiness presumption cheque astatine the Regional Justice Center connected June 17, 2025, successful Las Vegas, Nevada. (Steve Marcus-Pool/Getty Images)

SEND US A TIP

His attorneys, meanwhile, person argued that immoderate of Davis’ nationalist statements were exaggerated and person challenged whether statements helium made during a 2008 constabulary interrogation could beryllium utilized against him.

LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST

A Nevada justice ruled that Davis' constabulary interview, arsenic good arsenic portions of his memoir, volition beryllium allowed during the trial.

GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL

Tupac Shakur was killed successful a 1996 shooting successful Las Vegas. (Associated Press)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The proceedings is expected to past astir 4 weeks. In November, Davis' attorneys unsuccessfully sought to disregard the charges.

"Think of it this way: Shakur’s execution was fundamentally the amusement world’s JFK assassination — endlessly dissected, mythologized, monetized — truthful it’s not hard to spot wherefore idiosyncratic successful Davis’s presumption mightiness falsely spot himself astatine the halfway of it each for idiosyncratic gain," his attorneys said successful a petition to the Nevada Supreme Court that was denied.

Shakur's legendary rap vocation was highlighted by much than 75 cardinal records worldwide with hits including "California Love," "Changes" and "Dear Mama."

GOT A TIP?

Fox News Digital has reached retired to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for comment.

Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.