Closing statements to begin in trial of man accused of orchestrating Tupac Shakur killing

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Closing statements are scheduled Monday in one of hip-hop's most anticipated trials for the man accused of orchestrating the death of Tupac Shakur.

Duane ”Keffe D” Davis, 63, faces a single count of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in the killing of Shakur in Las Vegas nearly 30 years ago.

A panel of 16 jurors, four of whom will be alternates, heard 24 witnesses prosecutors called and three witnesses defense called over nine days. The trial was expected to take longer, with prosecutors originally planning to call 35 to 45 witnesses.

The prosecution was expected to hammer home their arguments that Davis called the shots for the attack on Shakur that night based on Davis' own statements, while Davis’ defense attorney will likely reiterate his claim that prosecution’s narrative is fiction, and that they failed to back up Davis’ claims with evidence.

The trial brings to a head a decades-long case that for years has drawn the eyes of hip-hop fans and true crime experts alike. Shakur, who was considered one of the most influential rappers of all time, was in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996, and stopped at a red light when a white Cadillac pulled up beside him, and shots were fired. Shakur died six days later from his wounds. Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight was also wounded, but survived.

For years, nobody had been charged in the rapper’s death until Davis began making public statements, saying he was in the Cadillac and gave the gun to others in the backseat. Davis, a self-proclaimed leader of the South Side Compton Crips at the time, described the shooting as an act of retaliation after Knight and Shakur’s entourage beat up Davis’ nephew in the MGM Grand hours before the shooting.

Prosecutors don’t claim Davis was the one who pulled trigger, but rather that he orchestrated the killing. Under Nevada law, someone who helps another person commit murder can be convicted of the crime. Davis is the only person still alive who was in the Cadillac.

The state has relied on Davis’ own statements he gave to police, documentarians and interviewers, in which he admitted to playing a role in the shooting. Davis also co-authored a book called “Compton Street Legend,” which Davis described as the “real truth” in an interview played for jurors.

In multiple interviews, Davis said he handed the gun to the back seat, with some details vary slightly on different occasions. Sometimes Davis said Deandre “Freaky” Smith had the gun but didn’t want it, so Anderson took it and pulled the trigger. In other interviews as well as his own book, Davis either wouldn't say who pulled the trigger, or that he didn't know.

Prosecution's witnesses included a gang expert who described Davis as the shot caller that younger gang members had to obey. Witnesses also testified regarding the heated gang rivalry between South Side Compton Crips and Mob Piru, which were associated with dueling record companies Bad Boy Records and Death Row Records.

Davis’ defense attorney Michael Sanft has told jurors that his client’s words were braggadocio and were meant to make Davis money, not to tell the truth.

Sanft, who took on the case without pay, argues there is a lack of physical evidence tying Davis to the crime, such as phone records or bills.

During the trial investigators said a Las Vegas hotel bill was found at Davis’ residence during a police search, but it wasn’t clear when it was dated — or where that evidence is currently located.

The case is nearly 30 years old, and its age has affected the kind of evidence presented in court. Prosecutors warned jurors that material collected in the ’90s is different from what law enforcement collects today.

Still, prosecutors played for jurors surveillance footage collected from the MGM Grand that showed Shakur, wearing a gold dress shirt, walking briskly on the casino floor with his entourage struggling to keep up with him. Footage showed the fight between Shakur’s entourage with Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson.

Former Las Vegas Metro Police Sgt. Stan Hyt testifies in court during the Duane Davis trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, in Clark County District Court at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP, Pool)

Former Las Vegas Metro Police officer Charlie Mangrum listens to Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo during the Duane Davis trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, in Clark County District Court at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP, Pool)

Duane Davis arrives for his trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, in Clark County District Court at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (Caroline Brehman/Pool Photo via AP)

Duane Davis enters the courtoom during his trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, in Clark County District Court at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP, Pool)

Duane Davis looks on during his trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, in Clark County District Court at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (Caroline Brehman/Pool Photo via AP)

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Authorities were intensifying rescue efforts after catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet killed at least 900 people and left more than 4,700 missing.

“We are working in search and rescue of the stranded people from hills, settlements and river areas,” said Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, Nepal’s army spokesman.

Multiple foreign teams were also assisting local rescuers to find trapped workers in hydropower tunnels. Officials say at least 90 people are trapped in multiple tunnels of hydropower plants.

Nepal’s disaster agency said Monday that 903 deaths had been counted in that country, with 4,247 people, including 592 foreigners, missing. As of Sunday, Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing, and Chinese state media said 261 of the missing were foreigners, including over a hundred Nepalis.

Wednesday’s flash floods started after a glacial collapse high in the Himalayan region. Scientists who studied satellite images said bedrock underneath a glacier high in the Himalayan region had collapsed, taking part of the glacier with it. The rockfall was so extreme that it registered as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event.

The rocks and melted water then swelled the rivers in the valleys below, causing a torrent of water that swept buildings, bridges and earth downstream in Tibet and Nepal.

A drone view shows a major section of Pasang Lhamu highway washed away along swollen Trishuli river by recent flash floods cutting off Rasuwa district from Nuwakot area, Nepal, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A drone view of the aftermath of flash flooding along the Trishuli river amidst fresh water surge warning in the Trishuli Bazaar area of Nuwakot district, Nepal, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A drone view shows a major section of Pasang Lhamu highway washed away along swollen Trishuli river by recent flash floods cutting off Rasuwa district from Nuwakot area, Nepal, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)