For almost 30 years, one of pop culture’s most enduring questions has been: “Who killed Tupac?”
This week, jury selection began in the murder trial of Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis, the man accused of orchestrating rapper Tupac Shakur’s 1996 killing.
Shakur was one of the biggest names in hip hop when he was murdered in Las Vegas, aged 25, and the case has remained unsolved for decades.
Davis denies being involved in the murder and has pleaded not guilty.
Here’s what you need to know.
Tupac
Shakur, also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor.
He is one of the best-selling artists of all time, rising to prominence with albums including ‘All Eyez on Me’ and ‘Me Against the World’.
Shakur served eight months in prison on sexual abuse charges but was released on bail in 1995, pending an appeal.
In 1996, at age 25, the rapper was murdered in a drive-by shooting.
Tupac’s death
At the time of his death, Shakur was signed to Death Row Records.
The Los Angeles-based record label had links to the Bloods, one of the city’s two major rival gangs that started in the 1970s.
Duane Davis, the man now on trial, and his nephew Orlando Anderson were linked to the Bloods’ rival gang, the Crips.
The two gangs have a long history of conflict.
On 7 September 1996, Shakur was in Las Vegas for a boxing match with Suge Knight, the head of his record label.
Afterwards, he and his group got into a physical fight with Anderson at the MGM Grand casino.
Hours later, Shakur was riding in a car with Knight when another car pulled up alongside and someone opened fire.
The rapper was shot four times.
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He died six days later, aged 25.
No one was arrested at the time.
The gun and getaway car were never found.
Investigation
Police questioned Anderson in October 1996 over Shakur’s death but there was little forensic evidence and he was never charged.
In May 1998, Anderson was killed in an unrelated gang shootout.
The investigation into Shakur’s murder was reopened after Davis wrote a 2019 memoir detailing his alleged role in the shooting.
He also gave multiple interviews about what happened on the night of Shakur’s death.
A Vegas detective used excerpts from the book as evidence for a grand jury, which indicted Davis in September 2023.
Trial
Jury selection for the trial started Monday at a court in Las Vegas.
The court announced a lottery system to determine which members of the public will receive seats in the main courtroom.
Davis faces one count of murder with a deadly weapon, with prosecutors alleging he ordered the killing and supplied the gun.
They say it was retaliation for the fight involving Shakur, Knight and Davis’ nephew, Anderson, who prosecutors have alleged was the actual shooter.
Davis has pleaded not guilty and maintains he didn’t kill anyone.
His lawyers argue his book and interviews were for entertainment and paid content, not a real confession.
Tupac’s stepbrother, Maurice ‘Mopreme’ Shakur, said: “I hope that the trial is fair, and we find out the truth”.
The trial is expected to run for about a month, with prosecutors planning to call up to 45 witnesses, including Suge Knight.
