Duane Davis Is Convicted of Orchestrating Tupac Shakur’s Murder
New York Times · LC · trust 60/100
Duane Keith Davis, 63, was found guilty of first-degree murder after he went on an interview tour discussing his role in the 1996 drive-by shooting.
Duane Keith Davis, 63, was accused of obtaining the gun used in the shooting and pursuing Mr. Shakur during a gang war that had become entangled with a feud between East Coast and West Coast hip-hop labels.
After about three hours of deliberations, the 12 jurors announced they had found Mr. Davis guilty of first-degree murder. Members of Mr. Shakur’s family who were seated in the courtroom embraced and passed around tissues to wipe away tears.
Straight-faced but agitated after the verdict, Mr. Davis addressed the judge to promise he would appeal. He is scheduled to receive his sentence — up to life in prison — on Oct. 13.
In a three-week trial, prosecutors depicted Mr. Davis as a shot caller for a group of Crips from Compton, Calif., who were out for revenge on the night of Sept. 7, 1996, when they happened to encounter Mr. Shakur in a black BMW stopped at a traffic light. Mr. Shakur, who was 25 and in the prime of his career, was shot four times and died at a hospital days later.
A 1996 photo of the black BMW that Marion Knight and Tupac Shakur had been riding in when the shooting occurred. Credit... Steve Marcus/Reuters We are having trouble retrieving the article content.
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