Justice at Last? Keffe D Sentenced 40 Years for Tupac’s Murder

1. Duane “Keffe D” Davis will be out of freedom for a long time.

The 63-year-old former gang leader was sentenced Tuesday in Las Vegas to 40 years to life for orchestrating the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur, CNN reports .

Even with credit for time served since his 2023 arrest, Davis will not be eligible for parole until he is at least 100 .

Judge Carli Kierny delivered the sentence after family members of the late rapper spoke.

“The world never forgot about him and his death, and neither did Las Vegas,” Kierny said .

Shakur was 25 when he was shot on September 7, 1996, near the Las Vegas Strip. He died six days later.

The murder went unsolved for nearly three decades.

Case Rested on Davis’s Own Words

Davis was a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips.

Prosecutors said he orchestrated the drive-by shooting after his nephew, Orlando Anderson, was beaten by Shakur’s entourage at the MGM Grand hours earlier .

Davis later spoke openly about his role in interviews, documentaries and a 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend” .

Those statements revived the cold case.

During the trial, prosecutors relied heavily on Davis’s own words. He wrote that he was in the passenger seat of the white Cadillac and passed the gun to the backseat, where shots were fired .

Davis was convicted in August of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon. The jury deliberated for about three hours.

His defense attorney, Michael Sanft, said he will appeal the conviction, per the Associated Press .

Sister Says Family Was Crippled by Loss

Sekyiwa Shakur, the rapper’s younger sister, gave an emotional impact statement.

“He was born an icon,” she said .

She described her brother as a protector who cared for his family and community. She told the court the loss crippled her family “emotionally and mentally” .

WATCH: Tupac Shakur’s sister breaks down in tears in court as she recounts the devastating toll her brother’s murder has taken on their family more than 30 years later. "That day, the loss of Tupac, for a long time crippled my family." Through tears, she reveals her own struggles with depression, suicidal thoughts, and PTSD, telling the court she has been hospitalized multiple times. The emotional testimony comes as Duane "Keffe D" Davis, the man convicted of orchestrating the rapper’s 1996 murder in Las Vegas, is sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 13, 2026

Shakur’s stepbrother, Maurice “Mopreme” Shakur, also spoke. He said the rapper “didn’t get a chance to have any kids” and “didn’t see his nieces and nephews grow up” .

Davis showed no visible reaction during the family statements. When asked if he had anything to say, he replied: “No, I’m good” .

Davis showed no remorse and said he will appeal. He is the only person ever charged in Shakur’s death.