▲ Duane "Keefe D" Davis, indicted on first-degree murder charges
A gang leader who ordered and conspired in the murder of legendary American hip-hop artist 2Pac (Tupac Shakur) has been sentenced to effectively life in prison 30 years after the crime.
On October 13 (local time), the Clark County District Court in Nevada sentenced Duane "Keefe D" Davis (63), who was indicted on charges of first-degree murder, to a minimum of 40 years in prison, according to the Associated Press.
Since Davis must serve 40 years before becoming eligible for parole, given his age in his 60s, he is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Davis, a former Los Angeles gang leader, was found guilty by a jury in August on charges of providing a firearm and ordering the shooting of 2Pac (then 25) on a Las Vegas street in September 1996.
The long-unsolved cold case came to light when Davis confessed to the crime in a memoir he published in 2019.
2Pac was riding in the passenger seat of a BMW driven by his record producer when bullets were fired from a Cadillac that approached while stopped at a traffic light. He died six days later.
It was confirmed that he was inside the Cadillac at the time and handed the firearm to a back-seat passenger while ordering the shooting. Because the three other accomplices in the vehicle have all died, Davis was the only person prosecuted.
Nevada law stipulates that individuals can be punished for murder if they order or participate in a crime, even if they did not pull the trigger themselves.
Davis stated that the crime was committed in retaliation for 2Pac's entourage assaulting his nephew, and also mentioned that hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, known as Puff Daddy, offered him money to kill 2Pac.
Prosecutors sought the maximum sentence, stating, "The defendant tried to make money off the murder he committed." Davis offered no particular excuse, responding briefly with "That's fine" when asked additional questions by the judge.
Davis's defense team announced plans to appeal, arguing that the indictment came too late.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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