Murder he wrote: How gang leader behind Tupac Shakur killing was snared by his own memoir

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Former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been found guilty of orchestrating the 1996 murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur.

​Davis, 63, was convicted of a single count of murder with a deadly weapon by a jury on August 31.

​Shakur, known for his mega-hits California Love and How Do U Want It, was shot four times in a drive-by shooting while in Paradise, Nevada, before dying from his injuries six days later.

During the trial prosecutors argued Davis was the “on-the-ground, on-site commander of the effort to kill Tupac.”

Much of the case centered around claims made in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, where he wrote in detail about being at the scene of Shakur’s killing.

Prosecutors say Davis may have never been prosecuted without writing the book. He nowfaces a potential life sentence following his conviction.

​Here’s everything we know about the first man convicted for the murder of the music legend Tupac Shakur.

In his memoir, Compton Street Legend, Davis writes that he was born in Watts, California. He later moved to Compton, according to CBS News, which reviewed the text.

​Davis said that his family home was purchased with money won by his father, a Marine from Virginia, at a racetrack in Mexico.

His mother, who was from Texas, died when he was just 15 following a battle with colon cancers. Two of his 12 siblings also later died, one from cancer and another from being shot.

​Davis later became linked with the South Side Compton Crips gang in 1971 and soon began dealing drugs for them. The wider Crips gang alliance has been linked to a number of crimes in the state and is known for its long-running feud with rival group The Bloods.​

By the time of Shakur’s death, Davis was a prominent member of the South Side Compton Crips.

In his memoir, Davis also details meeting Death Row Records CEO Marion “Suge” Knight at the age of 9.

Shakur was shot on September 7 just after 11 p.m after a white Cadillac pulled up next to the vehicle carrying him. The rapper was rushed to the hospital and later died from his injuries.

​At a press conference in 2023, police alleged that Shakur and Knight had beaten Davis’s nephew, Orlando Anderson. In retaliation, Davis began plotting revenge and was allegedly joined in the Cadillac by Anderson, Terrance Brown and Deandre Smith.

​Authorities noted that Davis was the last living suspect in the case.

​In an extract of his memoir obtained by The Guardian, Davis detailed his account of the shooting.

​“No words were exchanged, the time for talking had passed, the s*** was on,” he wrote. “Tupac made an erratic move and began to reach down beneath his seat.

​“It was the first and only time in my life that I could relate to the police command to, ‘Keep your hands where I can see them.’

“Instead, Pac pulled out a strap, and that’s when the fireworks started. One of my guys from the back seat grabbed the Glock and started bustin’ back.”

Davis was arrested for Tupac’s murder back in 2023, with authorities noting during a press conference at the time that the now-convicted man’s own comments in interviews had sparked an investigation into him.

​“Had he decided to never write the book, he would not, probably, have ever been prosecuted for the crime,” prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo would later say in court.

Davis has also been linked to a number of other crimes and describes in his memoir being jailed in the 1980s for dealing drugs.

​Following his arrest in connection with Tupac’s murder, Davis was convicted of battery in 2025 in connection with a jailhouse fight that had taken place a year earlier.

Davis’ trial kicked off on August 10, with prosecutor Binu Palal pointing to the 63-year-old’s own memoir.

​“He’s the shot caller – in every iteration he’s the leader of the South Side Crips,” Palal argued. “When you have the shot caller sitting shotgun when shots are fired, there’s no doubt he’s responsible.”

Defense attorney Michael Sanft argued that his client had lied in his memoir to sell copies of the book. Davis also named Anderson, his nephew, as the shooter.

​After a three-hour deliberation on August 31, a jury found Davis guilty. His sentencing has been set for October 13.

​Speaking in court, Davis said he planned to appeal.

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