Nearly three decades after Tupac Shakur's murder stunned the music world, prosecutors have offered their clearest preview yet of how they plan to argue the case against Duane "Keefe D" Davis. Ahead of trial, the Clark County District Attorney's Office filed a 16-page supplemental witness list identifying more than 200 potential witnesses prosecutors could call as they seek to convict Davis in connection with the 1996 killing. Las Vegas's KSNV 3 News reported that the filing includes a wide range of law enforcement officials, expert witnesses, records custodians, and individuals with direct ties to one of Hip Hop's long-running mysteries.
Several names immediately stand out. Infamous Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight, who was riding in the passenger seat of the BMW when Shakur was shot, is listed as a potential witness. Former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman also appears on the filing, along with Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, who was serving with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department when the investigation first began. Further, former LAPD Detective Greg Kading, who has long maintained that Davis admitted his role in the shooting during a 2009 interview with investigators, is also expected to be among the witnesses prosecutors may call.
The witness list also reportedly includes several members of Shakur's family, though prosecutors have not indicated who will ultimately testify once the trial gets underway.
Read More: Tupac Murder Case: Keefe D Wants An Apology From Law Enforcement
Trial Begins In Less Than Two Weeks
Davis was arrested in 2023 after decades of publicly discussing the case in interviews and in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend. He has acknowledged being inside the Cadillac from which gunfire erupted on the night of September 7, 1996, but has pleaded not guilty to murder. Prosecutors allege he orchestrated the shooting as retaliation for a fight involving members of Death Row Records at the MGM Grand earlier that evening.
Shakur died six days after the shooting at just 25 years old, leaving behind an unmatched legacy in Hip Hop history and a case that remained unsolved for nearly 30 years. With jury selection and opening arguments scheduled to begin on August 10, the newly filed witness list offers the strongest indication yet of how prosecutors intend to connect the dots to what they claim is justice.
