Tupac Shakur’s 27-Year-Old Murder Case Presents ‘Unique Challenges,’ Says DA

27 years after the death of rap star Tupac Shakur, Duane Davis — a.k.a. Keffe D — has been arrested on charges of murder with a deadly weapon and currently awaits sentencing.

In a brief press conference held outside a Las Vegas courthouse on Wednesday, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson shared why "this case stands apart from all others."

"In a court of law, we are obligated to present substantial legal evidence in our pursuit to establish his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt," he explained.

Shakur died on Sept. 7, 1996, when a white Cadillac with four men inside pulled up to his vehicle and opened fire on the passenger side. He was 25 years old.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police ultimately arrested Davis on Friday, Sept. 29.

Wolfson also pointed out that "Dealing with a 27-year-old case can pose its unique challenges, but we hold unwavering confidence in the integrity of the criminal justice system to prevail in this instance." 

He went on to stress the importance of solving Shakur's murder, calling it a "crucial case," and said the DA's office is dedicated to being very careful in their investigation. "We were determined to ensure the collection of legally admissible evidence and to reach a point where we were comfortable with the sufficiency of legal evidence."

Wolfson also hinted at why it took so long to arrest Davis, saying, "When facing a charge as grave as murder, it is an individual's right to have faith in a system that only levies charges when supported by substantial legal evidence. Thus, we waited until we reached that threshold of evidence before moving forward."

Keffe D actually detailed Tupac's shooting in his 2019 memoir, writing that he hid the Cadillac and the gun before having the vehicle repaired and repainted to return to a rental car company. His admissions in the book and in a 2018 USA documentary reportedly made the police return to the case.

Davis will remain in custody on the murder charge with no bail granted. His arraignment was postponed to Oct. 19 after his attorney was unable to make the hearing.