Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the man accused of orchestrating the 1996 killing of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur, is reportedly showing little fear despite facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars.
According to TMZ, sources with direct knowledge of Davis’ situation say he is doing relatively well in custody and is not nervous about the possibility of life imprisonment if convicted. However, the sources stressed that Davis certainly does not want to spend the remainder of his life in prison.
The dramatic development comes as Davis’ long-awaited murder trial moves forward in Las Vegas, nearly three decades after Shakur was fatally shot. A jury was selected on Thursday, August 13, with opening statements expected Monday. Davis has pleaded not guilty to murder with a deadly weapon.
Prosecutors allege Davis was the “shot caller” behind the deadly attack and supplied the weapon used in the shooting. Authorities do not accuse him of personally firing the shots. Under Nevada law, however, someone who allegedly assists or helps orchestrate a murder can still face a murder conviction.
Davis has maintained his innocence. Just days before the trial, he told FOX5 Las Vegas that he was not even in Las Vegas on the night Shakur was shot. He also disputed a book attributed to him that prosecutors intend to use as evidence, arguing that a ghostwriter produced it and that he promoted the publication to earn money for his family.
TMZ reports that people close to Davis believe his past experience with incarceration may explain why the threat of prison does not appear to frighten him. Still, concerns reportedly remain about the dangers he could face as an older inmate.
Shakur was shot near the Las Vegas Strip on September 7, 1996, while riding in a vehicle driven by Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight. The 25-year-old rapper died six days later.
Now, almost 30 years later, one of hip-hop’s most famous unsolved killings is finally heading before a jury, with Davis’ freedom potentially hanging in the balance.
