Almost 30 Years After His Death, Will Tupac Shakur’s Murder Trial Finally Start? 

(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Almost three decades ago, famed rap sensation, Tupac Shakur was shot on the Las Vegas strip. A week later, he died from his injuries. Now, close to thirty years later, a trial is set against a man authorities say participated in the shooting, but the defense is trying to prevent the trial from starting.

Why do they want a delay, and will there finally be a trial for Shakur’s murder?

A Las Vegas Shooting

In September 1996, Tupac Shakur, a well-known rapper, attended a boxing match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. After the match, Shakur and his associates crossed paths with Orlando Anderson in the lobby of the hotel.

Shakur and his group recognized Anderson as someone who they had previous troubles with. The MGM security cameras caught footage of Shakur and his associates assaulting Anderson. Later that night, Shakur and his associates encountered Anderson again when he and three others pulled up next to Shakur’s car and fired shots into it.

Shakur, 25 at the time, was hit four times. After a week in the hospital, he died from his injuries. No one was charged in the case for nearly 27 years.

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An Arrest and a Murder Charge 27 Years Later

In September 2023, a man was finally charged in the Shakur case. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 61, was arrested in Las Vegas and charged with first-degree murder.

Davis is an ex-gang leader and the uncle of Anderson who had the altercation with Shakur in the MGM lobby. Davis had been interviewed in earlier investigations of the case. Authorities talked to him in 1998 and the early 2000s, but nothing came from the interviews at that time, per FOX 13.

Now, authorities are pointing to Davis’s later actions as evidence in the case. In 2019, Davis wrote a tell-all memoir depicting his life as a gang leader in Compton, California. The book includes a first-person account of the 1996 shooting.

In the book, Davis says he obtained a .40-caliber handgun and that he was in the car with Anderson and two others when it approached Shakur’s vehicle. While he doesn’t admit that Anderson shot Shakur, he says he handed the gun to Anderson.

Of the four people in the car, Davis is the only person still living. Anderson, who had always denied involvement in the shooting, died in 1998.

Prosecutors have evidence that Davis was in Las Vegas at the time of the shooting, and they finally arrested him for first-degree murder almost three decades after the incident.

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First, A Motion to Dismiss

Davis was charged with first-degree murder in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Shakur was shot and killed and also where Davis currently resides. The case was originally set to go to trial on March 17, 2025, but Davis’s legal team fought to have the case dismissed.

In January 2025, Davis’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the charges. They argued that the case should be dismissed because Davis had an immunity agreement with federal and local authorities that was reached years ago. They also called the lengthy delay in his arrest an “egregious” violation of his constitutional rights, per AP reporting.

Prosecutors argued that there was no proof that Davis was granted immunity and that the evidence against him warranted a trial. The judge agreed and denied the motion to dismiss, but Davis’s legal team had another path toward delaying the trial.

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Next, A Motion to Delay The Trial

In February 2025, Davis’s team filed a motion to delay the upcoming trial. They argued they needed more time to investigate and conduct interviews. They believe they may have evidence that Shakur’s death was caused during an incident at the hospital after the shooting rather than being a result of the gunshot wounds.

The defense’s court filings say they have, “identified several witnesses that have testimony regarding the sudden death of Tupac Shakur while at the hospital after reaching stable condition.”

This time, the judge agreed with the defense team. The judge agreed to postpone the trial until February 9, 2026.

In the decades-long saga of Shakur’s murder, the case will be on hold for at least another year.

Talk to an Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney

If you are entering a criminal legal matter, whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony, talk to an experienced defense attorney right away. Schedule a consultation with criminal defense attorney TJ Grimaldi to review your case and prepare your defense plan. All consultations are free. Request your free consultation or call 813-226-1023 today.