Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday, Aug. 12, 2026 [1], for the murder trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis in Las Vegas.
The proceedings mark a significant legal step in one of the most infamous cold cases in music history. Davis is accused of masterminding the drive-by shooting that killed rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996 [2].
The case is being heard in the Clark County District Court [1]. Davis, a former street gang leader, was arrested in 2023 [4] after investigators linked him to the orchestration of the attack. The murder occurred nearly 30 years ago [3], leaving a void in the hip-hop community and a decades-long search for accountability.
While the prosecution prepares its case, other figures associated with the era have distanced themselves from the legal battle. Suge Knight, the former Death Row Records executive who was in the car with Shakur during the shooting, has expressed a desire to remain uninvolved. "Leave me out of it," Knight said in a video interview with Good Morning America [5].
Knight further clarified his position regarding the court proceedings. "I will not be testifying in this case," Knight said [6]. His refusal to testify may impact the range of eyewitness testimony available to the jury as they evaluate the events of 1996 [2].
The trial follows years of speculation and investigation into the rivalry between the East Coast and West Coast rap scenes. Prosecutors allege that Davis planned the hit as part of a gang-related conflict. The upcoming jury selection process will determine who will decide if the evidence against the former gang leader is sufficient for a conviction.
“"Leave me out of it"”
The trial of Duane Davis represents a rare instance of a high-profile cold case reaching a courtroom decades after the crime. By bringing a former gang leader to trial for the 1996 shooting, authorities are attempting to provide legal closure to a case that has long been subject to conspiracy theories and public speculation. The refusal of Suge Knight to testify removes a primary witness, potentially shifting the trial's reliance toward forensic evidence and the testimony of other cooperating witnesses.
