Ex-gang leader sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for Tupac Shakur murder
Duane 'Keffe D' Davis has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for his role in the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. The sentencing concludes a decades-long cold case that significantly impacted hip-hop culture.
Why it matters
This marks the resolution of one of the most high-profile unsolved murders in music history, providing closure to a case that defined an era of rap music.
A former gang leader was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) for orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting death of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas, capping the prosecution of a long-unsolved murder that shaped the golden age of rap music.
Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, found guilty of first-degree murder in August, received the sentence during a hearing in a Las Vegas courtroom.
In tearful testimony before Judge Carli Kierny, Shakur’s younger sister Sekyiwa Shakur said their mother had raised him to be a human rights activist and treated him as if he had the potential to change the world.
“He believed her,” said Sekyiwa Shakur, wearing a black shirt. “He went out in the world to do that. And I believe he would have done it.”
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in