LAS VEGAS (AP) — Duane “Keffe D” Davis is currently awaiting trial for the 1996 murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur. Recently, he faced a setback when he lost a bid for a new trial in a separate battery case linked to a fight that occurred in jail. The ruling was announced following a tense hearing in a Las Vegas courtroom that highlighted Davis's high-profile status as a defendant involved in one of the music industry's most notorious cases.
During the hearing, jurors who previously convicted Davis for the battery charge were called to the stand. Each juror asserted that they did not overhear comments made by Davis’s son, Duane Davis Jr., or a self-proclaimed journalist, Richard Bond, regarding the battery case during a lunch break preceding deliberation. Both witnesses claimed to have heard a juror speaking in the hallway on the last day of a two-day trial held in April, which has sparked controversy around the trial’s integrity.
Judge Nadia Krall expressed skepticism about the credibility of the testimonies from Davis's son and Bond. She noted that the two witnesses had a relationship that could indicate possible bias. During the courtroom examination, it was revealed that Bond had been financially supporting both Davis and his son and had even suggested that they replace their attorney, Carl Arnold. The prosecutor, Marc DiGiacomo, challenged Bond's allegations regarding juror misconduct, questioning his understanding of journalistic ethics, to which Bond admitted he had not taken a class.
The incident in December 2024, which led to the battery charge, was documented via security footage. Prosecutors contended that Davis was involved in an altercation while being escorted back to his unit by a corrections officer. Arnold, arguing on behalf of his client, insisted that Davis had acted in self-defense during this confrontation. The judge's dismissal of the motion for a new trial, which was based on the supposed juror comments, raised further questions about the fairness of the initial trial.
It's not the first instance where testimonies from those connected to Davis have come under scrutiny. Notably, Davis is the sole person charged in connection with Shakur’s death, a case that has garnered significant media attention since his arrest in September 2023. After his arrest, Davis sought to be released on bail, but the request was denied in light of suspicious circumstances surrounding the sources of funds for his bond.
During the bail hearing, it was revealed that a music executive had offered to underwrite Davis's $750,000 bail, asserting that the funds were obtained legitimately. However, Judge Krall expressed skepticism about the authenticity of the financial support, pointing to issues with letters from an entertainment company that appeared to contain discrepancies, including misspellings and unauthorized signatures.
Davis has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, facing serious allegations regarding his role in the drive-by shooting of Shakur nearly three decades ago on the Las Vegas Strip. Prosecutors have indicated that the evidence against him includes documented statements he has made over the years in interviews and a tell-all memoir published in 2019. Davis's upcoming trial is set for February, as the public continues to follow the high-profile case involving the iconic rapper’s unsolved murder.
Tupac Shakur, who tragically passed away at the age of 25, was in the midst of his successful career with his album “All Eyez on Me” still charting high during his last days, having sold over five million copies. As a six-time Grammy nominated artist, Shakur remains recognized as one of the most influential and versatile figures in the world of rap music.
