The only suspect charged in the killing of Tupac Shakur did not appear in court for a hearing on his trial readiness. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the 1996 death of the rap icon, has been in jail since his arrest in September 2023.
His defense team did not provide a reason for his absence from the court hearings. Davis also missed a hearing in another case where he is accused of fighting with another inmate at the Clark County Detention Center in December.
His attorney requested a delay in the trial readiness hearing, which was granted by the judge, setting a new date for February 18. The trial is scheduled to begin in March.
Last week, Davis was indicted on separate charges of battery and challenging someone to a fight, moving the case to state District Court. He is set to be arraigned on Thursday.
In the Shakur case, Davis claims immunity agreements with federal and local prosecutors from his time in California, but the judge ruled he lacks proof of such agreements. Prosecutors argue they have strong evidence against him, including his own accounts of the shooting in a memoir.
A correctional officer testified that Davis was involved in a fight at the detention center, with Davis claiming self-defense. Davis, an ex-gang leader, is accused of orchestrating the killing near the Las Vegas Strip.
