Nearly three decades after the killing of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur shocked the music world, a Las Vegas jury has found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of murder, delivering a historic verdict in one of hip-hop’s most infamous cold cases.

The jury returned its verdict on Monday, August 31, 2026, finding the 63-year-old former gang leader guilty in connection with the September 1996 drive-by shooting that ultimately claimed Tupac’s life. Davis had pleaded not guilty.

Tupac was just 25 years old when he was shot on September 7, 1996, while riding in a BMW driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight near the Las Vegas Strip. Knight survived the attack, but Tupac died from his injuries six days later.

For decades, no one was charged in the rapper’s killing, despite endless speculation, investigations and conspiracy theories surrounding the case.

Prosecutors accused Davis of helping organize the deadly attack as retaliation after Tupac and members of his entourage assaulted Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, at the MGM Grand earlier that night.

Although prosecutors did not allege that Davis personally fired the fatal shots, they argued that he played a central role in arranging the attack and providing the weapon used during the shooting. Under Nevada law, a person who assists or participates in carrying out a murder can be held criminally responsible even if that person was not the shooter.

A major part of the prosecution’s case centered on Davis’ own words. Over the years, he publicly discussed his alleged involvement through interviews, recorded conversations and his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend.” Prosecutors used those statements to strengthen their case against him.

Davis’ defense maintained that many of his past statements were exaggerations made for attention and financial gain and argued that prosecutors lacked sufficient physical evidence tying him to the killing.

The jury, however, ultimately rejected that argument and returned a guilty verdict.

The conviction marks an extraordinary turning point in a case that remained unresolved for almost 30 years, bringing one of music history’s longest-running murder mysteries closer to a legal conclusion.

For generations of Tupac fans, the verdict represents a stunning development in a case many once believed would never reach a courtroom.