Jury selection underway in LA trial of former gang leader charged in 1996 Tupac Shakur murder

Jury selection began this week at the Regional Justice Centre in Las Vegas for the long-delayed trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who is accused of orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur.

Davis, 63, faces a charge of murder with a deadly weapon with a gang enhancement, carrying a potential sentence of life in prison without parole if convicted. Prosecutors allege that Davis, a former shot-caller for the South Side Compton Crips, supplied the firearm and directed the attack in retaliation for an assault on his nephew, Orlando Anderson, by Shakur and Death Row Records associates following a boxing match at the MGM Grand.

The case relies heavily on self-incriminating accounts provided by Davis, including statements made to police in 2008 and details published in his 2019 co-authored memoir, Compton Street Legend. While prosecutors maintain that Davis breached non-prosecution conditions through his public commentary, defence attorneys argue that the book was ghostwritten and heavily embellished for financial gain, maintaining that Davis was not present in Las Vegas on the night of the shooting.

Jury selection is expected to continue through the end of the week to establish a final panel of 12 jurors and four alternates. Opening arguments are scheduled to commence today, on 17 August, in a trial projected to span roughly four weeks.