Tupac Murder Case: Keefe D Wants An Apology From Law Enforcement

Less than two weeks before jury selection is set to begin, the defense in Duane "Keefe D" Davis' Tupac Shakur murder case is making its boldest public argument yet. They insist prosecutors never had enough evidence to bring the case in the first place. Davis' attorney, Mike Sanft, is calling for the charges to be dismissed entirely. He argues that the Clark County District Attorney's Office built its case on evidence that falls well short of the standard required to prosecute someone for murder. Speaking to The U.S. Sun, Sanft said anything less than a dismissal would be unacceptable, adding that he believes prosecutors owe his client a written apology for charging him.

"If they really done their job, he would not have been charged," Sanft said, criticizing both prosecutors and investigators involved in the decades-old case. Davis, 63, was arrested in September 2023 and charged in connection with the fatal drive-by shooting that claimed Shakur's life in Las Vegas in 1996. Prosecutors have identified the former Compton gang figure as the alleged orchestrator of the killing. However, it's a claim Davis now rejects despite years of public statements in which he appeared to place himself at the center of the case.

For years, Davis discussed the killing in interviews, his memoir Compton Street Legend, and conversations with law enforcement. His defense now argues those statements were fabricated. They claim they were simply exaggerated stories meant to generate publicity and financial opportunities rather than admissions of criminal conduct. Sanft contends his client was exercising his First Amendment rights, even if those remarks were, in his words, "not in good taste."

Rumors recently circulated that prosecutors had offered Davis a plea agreement that would have significantly reduced his potential prison time. Sanft denied any such offer was made. He also made it clear he would advise his client against accepting anything short of a complete dismissal of the case.

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson has previously indicated the state will seek life imprisonment if Davis is convicted rather than pursuing the death penalty. As the trial approaches, jury selection is expected to present its own challenges. The investigation has remained one of Hip Hop's most scrutinized criminal cases for nearly three decades. The rumors have been fueled by documentaries, books, podcasts, and extensive media coverage.

“In picking a jury, the number one promise that we expect from our jurors is that they will be fair and impartial to both the state, as well as Duane, and that they will reserve their judgment until the close of the evidence on the case is then given to them," said Sanft. “I have an ethical duty to never try my case in the media prior to the jury being picked and sequestered."

Davis' past comments have also fueled years of speculation involving Sean "Diddy" Combs. Davis alleged Combs offered him $1 million to kill Shakur during the height of the East Coast-West Coast rivalry. Those allegations have long been denied by Combs, and Sanft did not revisit their credibility while discussing the upcoming trial. Meanwhile, jury selection is scheduled to begin on August 10. Davis is expected to remain off the witness stand. Instead, his defense plans to challenge the prosecution's evidence directly. They'll claim investigators relied too heavily on statements they now contend were never true in the first place.