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· collected 2026-08-19 · by Ashley Papa, Michael Ruiz
A retired LAPD detective says that prosecutors in the Tupac murder trial will focus on the words of defendant Duane "Keffe D" Davis and his ghostwriter Yusef Jah, who wrote a book about the case. According to the detective, the key to the trial may be whether Jah can confirm that he based the book on Davis' accounts, which would make it difficult for the defense to dispute. The trial has been complicated by the fact that few witnesses cooperated at the time of the murder and even survivor Marion "Suge" Knight does not want to testify. Prosecutors have played audio recordings from 2008 in which Davis details his alleged involvement in the crime.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Duane "Keffe D" Davis is on trial for orchestrating the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas.
- On September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was involved in a fight with Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
- Two and a half hours later, Shakur was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting from a white Cadillac.
- Prosecutors say Davis orchestrated the killing as an act of revenge for his nephew's beating by Tupac.
Testimony
- Dr. Lisa Gavin, a medical examiner, testified that Shakur's death was a homicide.
- Former Las Vegas police detective Dean O'Kelley described responding to the scene of the shooting and trying to protect the crime scene.
- James McDonald, an associate of Suge Knight, refused to answer questions about the beating of Orlando Anderson.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis has previously implicated his nephew in the killing. In a 2008 interview with detectives, Davis said that his nephew Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson fired the shots that killed Tupac Shakur.
Prosecutors have called Yusef Jah, Davis' ghostwriter, to testify about the book that helped authorities bring charges in the decades-old cold case.
Jurors heard audio of the 2008 interview between detectives and Duane "Keffe D" Davis. In the recording, Davis said that his nephew took the gun and started firing at Tupac Shakur's car.
Written for “Tupac Shakur Murder Trial” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 7 other(s) covering the same event.
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No quote from the article could be verified for this score. The
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Leaning score +0.35 for article 1194 (low confidence, 0 verified quotes) · logged 2026-08-24
Tupac Shakur's murder trial could come down to the words of his accused killer and a ghostwriter involved in the book that helped authorities bring charges in the decades-old cold case, according to a retired LAPD detective.
uncertain
authorities → come → detective
Although the mantra of "snitches get stitches" hangs over the case, defendant Duane "Keffe D" Davis outlined his alleged involvement in a series of interviews with law enforcement — in part while working as a confidential informant — in a TV interview and again in his own memoir.
asserted
Davis → get → memoir
While the defense has hinted that Davis' ghostwriter Yusef Jah fictionalized some details and that the defendant wasn't involved in the crime, prosecutors have Jah's name on their witness list.
asserted
prosecutors → hint → list
"I suspect that the prosecution is going to have to call the writer of this book and ask him point blank and directly: Did you write this based on what Davis told you?" said Moses Castillo, a retired LAPD detective.
asserted
Castillo → suspect → you
"And then if he says yes, and this is what he told me, then it's gonna be very hard to dispute that fact.
asserted
it → say → fact
"
Still, he told Fox News Digital, prosecutors have a tough case because Shakur's murder happened nearly 30 years ago and few witnesses cooperated at the time.
asserted
witnesses → tell → time
Even survivor Marion "Suge" Knight, a co-founder of Death Row Records who was in the car with Shakur and wounded in the shooting, has said he does not want to testify if called to the stand.
asserted
he → wound → stand
"When you're in this circle of gangs and gang involvement, you don't want to be a snitch," Castillo added.
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Castillo → want → gangs
"You don't wanna be that person that's being classified as a rat.
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that → wanna → rat
Because as they say: snitches get stitches, and that is really true.
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that → say → stitches
But as Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal said in his opening statement Monday, one person did talk.
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person → say → statement
That was Davis, who sat for interviews with investigators in 1998, 1999, 2008 and 2009, in addition to sitting for a BET documentary and discussing details in his book.
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who → sit → book
Prosecutors played some of his statements from 2008 in court on Monday — including his account of obtaining the gun and his claim that his nephew, who has since died, fired the shots.
uncertain
who → play → shots
Defense attorney Michael Sanft countered that it's up to jurors to decide what the facts are, based on evidence shown in court.
asserted
facts → counter → court
"What they are telling you, they're representing it to be a fact when it really is fiction.
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it → tell → you
And it's up to you to determine what the facts are in this case," he said in his own opening.
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he → determine → opening
Sanft said investigators never vetted the claims in Davis' book, not even interviewing other witnesses allegedly in the suspect vehicle before they died.
uncertain
they → say → vehicle
A gunman in a white Cadillac opened fire on a BMW carrying Shakur and Knight on Sept. 7, 1996, on the Las Vegas Strip.
asserted
gunman → open → Strip
Knight recovered from minor injuries.
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Knight → recover → injuries
Shakur succumbed to his injuries six days later at 25 years old.
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Shakur → succumb → injuries
