In a significant development in the long-standing investigation into the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, Duane "Keffe D" Davis, one of the last living witnesses to the 1996 killing, has been arrested in the Las Vegas area. Davis was taken into custody early Friday morning on suspicion of murder, according to anonymous officials with knowledge of the arrest. It is unclear at this time if Davis has legal representation.
Davis, who has been known to investigators for some time, admitted in interviews and his 2019 memoir, "Compton Street Legend," that he was present in the Cadillac from which the gunfire erupted during the drive-by shooting that claimed Shakur's life. The shooting took place on September 7, 1996, while Shakur was in a BMW driven by Death Row Records founder Marion "Suge" Knight. A white Cadillac pulled up next to them at a red light, and shots were fired, resulting in Shakur being shot multiple times. He died a week later at the age of 25.
Davis implicated his nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, as one of the individuals in the backseat of the Cadillac. Anderson, a known rival of Shakur, had been involved in a casino brawl with the rapper shortly before the shooting. Anderson died two years later, maintaining his denial of involvement in Shakur's death.
In his memoir, Davis disclosed that he broke his silence in 2010 during a closed-door meeting with federal and local authorities. Facing life in prison on drug charges, Davis agreed to cooperate with investigators regarding Tupac's killing, as well as the fatal shooting of Shakur's rap rival, Biggie Smalls, also known as the Notorious B.I.G. Davis claimed that authorities offered to drop the charges against him in exchange for his cooperation.
Greg Kading, a retired Los Angeles police detective who has extensively investigated the Shakur killing and authored a book on the subject, expressed little surprise regarding Davis' arrest. Kading believes that Davis' public statements about his involvement in the murder, including his memoir, have given the Las Vegas authorities the impetus to move forward with the case.
Tupac Shakur's death occurred during a period of intense rivalry between East Coast and West Coast rap scenes, with Shakur and Biggie Smalls at the forefront. Shakur, with his fourth solo album "All Eyez on Me" still on the charts, remains an influential and respected figure in the world of hip-hop.