Duane "Keffe D" Davis has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. The sentence was handed down by Judge Carli Kierny in a Las Vegas court on Tuesday, following Davis's conviction on first-degree murder charges in late August.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors revealed that recorded jail calls captured Davis discussing a television show about his life after his arrest. Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo told the court that the calls demonstrated Davis had not matured over the years, stating, "after so many years, the calls showed Davis had not grown up."
Sentencing Details and Prosecution's Case
Judge Kierny imposed a sentence of 20 years to life for murder, followed by a consecutive 20 years to life for a deadly-weapon enhancement, totaling 40 years to life. Davis, 63, had faced a maximum penalty of life without parole. The jury convicted him of first-degree murder in late August, making him the only person charged and convicted in the case.
Prosecutors argued that Davis orchestrated the drive-by shooting of Shakur on the Las Vegas Strip on 7 September 1996, as revenge for a beating his nephew had received from Shakur and his associates at the MGM Grand casino earlier that night. Although Davis was not accused of firing the shots, prosecutors contended he supplied the gun. The gunman has never been named.
Judge's Remarks and Davis's Silence
Judge Kierny addressed Davis directly, noting that for three years she had heard him say some version of the same thing: that he was involved, but he had moved on, left Compton behind and become a grandfather. She told him that the passage of time did not mean he could walk away from taking a life.
Davis declined to address the court, including Shakur's family. Shakur's sister spoke at the hearing, remembering him as a protector and father figure. DiGiacomo said Davis is "guaranteed to die" behind bars.
Appeal and Defense Arguments
Davis's attorney, Michael Sanft, said they will appeal the conviction. Much of the trial rested on Davis's own accounts of the killing, which he had given in media interviews and in a memoir. His lawyer argued that those statements were the only evidence linking him to the crime.
The sentencing brings a close to a case that had remained unsolved for decades, with Davis being the sole individual held accountable. The appeal process is expected to proceed, with Davis remaining in custody.
