Duane "Keffe D" Davis, suspect charged in Tupac Shakur's murder, makes 1st court appearance

Duane "Keffe D" Davis, the man charged in rapper Tupac Shakur's 1996 murder, made his first court appearance Wednesday morning in Las Vegas.

Davis, 60, appeared before district court judge Tara Jones. He told Jones that he retained counsel, but his counsel could not appear and requested a two-week continuance, which Jones granted. Davis is scheduled to appear in court again on Oct. 19 at 9 a.m. local time. 

Clark County district attorney Steve Wolfson said in a news conference Wednesday that Davis was meant to be arraigned and enter a plea, but that will now be delayed until he appears in court with his lawyer. Once Davis makes his plea, the judge will set a date for a jury trial. 

Davis will be held without bail until at least his next court appearance, Wolfson said.

Davis has been charged with one count of murder with use of a deadly weapon with a gang enhancement. He was arrested on Friday, Sept. 29, shortly after being indicted by a Nevada grand jury. 

Shakur was 25 years old when he was killed in a drive-by shooting on the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 7, 1996. Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo described Davis as the "on-ground, on-site commander" who "ordered the death" of the hip-hop icon. 

"It's a cold case. It's been lingering for 27 years. But I felt there was sufficient legally admissible evidence to move forward, that's why we presented it to a grand jury," Wolfson said in response to a question from CBS News correspondent Elise Preston during the news conference. "The grand jury agreed there was probable cause to return an indictment … any case that's 27 years old sometimes presents some challenges, but we feel very confident that the criminal justice system will work in this case." 

Davis has previously described himself as a witness to the murder, writing in his 2019 memoir that he was in the car that gunfire erupted from, and implicating his nephew Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson as one of two people in the back seat where the shots were fired. Anderson died two years after the shooting. 

Officials said Davis has been known to investigators. His wife's home was raided by police in July, with documents stating that police were looking for items "concerning the murder of Tupac Shakur." Electronics, photos and a copy of the memoir were collected by officials. 

In:
• Tupac Shakur
• Tupac
• Cold Case
• Murder

Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a news editor and reporter for CBS News. Her reporting focuses on current events, breaking news and substance use.