Reggie Wright Jr. Calls Keefe D A 'Liar' Over Tupac Murder Claims

BY Erika Marie
Link Copied to Clipboard!
June 3, 2003; Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA; Tupac Shakur photographed in 2003. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ferguson/Globe Photos/ZUMA
June 3, 2003; Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA; Tupac Shakur photographed in 2003. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ferguson/Globe Photos/ZUMA Wire via USA TODAY NETWORK USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
As the Tupac trial unfolds, Reggie Wright Jr. is rejecting Keefe D’s attempt to tie him to the killing.

Keefe D’s effort to point investigators toward a former Death Row security chief is getting a forceful rejection from the man he has accused. Reggie Wright Jr. says Duane “Keefe D” Davis is trying to pull him into Tupac Shakur’s murder case because the defense built around Davis’ own changing accounts is falling apart.

“It’s unfortunate that he wanna bring me into it after all these years cause now I guess he see that his defense is headed downhill,” Wright told the 8 News Now Investigators ahead of the trial. His response followed a jailhouse interview in which Davis claimed evidence surrounding Tupac’s 1996 murder points toward Wright. Davis accused Wright of inserting his name into the investigation from the beginning.

“He brought up my name from day one,” Davis said. “He just brought up my name and he basically started bullsh*t.” Wright called Davis a liar.

Read More: Inside The Tupac Murder Trial: 11 Key Players To Know

Using Keefe D's Own Words Against Him

The accusation comes as Davis has taken an increasingly different position from the one he publicly presented before his 2023 arrest. Prosecutors have built a significant portion of their case around interviews and Compton Street Legend, the 2019 memoir in which Davis placed himself inside the white Cadillac connected to Tupac’s shooting. Davis now maintains that he was not in Las Vegas when Tupac was killed and says some of his previous stories were invented for money. His defense opened the trial by similarly arguing that his past accounts should not be treated as reliable evidence.

Wright told 8 News Now that he was at a nightclub when Tupac was shot on September 7, 1996. He recalled members of the Death Row crew arriving with news of the attack. “Two of the guys from the entourage came up to me and said, ‘Reg, Reg, Suge and Tupac just got shot down the street,’” he said.

According to Wright, people around Death Row quickly believed the shooting involved members of the South Side Compton Crips. He said investigators later identified Davis’ nephew Orlando Anderson in MGM Grand surveillance footage showing the fight that occurred several hours before the shooting. Prosecutors now allege that the beating of Anderson triggered the retaliation Davis helped organize. Davis is not accused of firing the fatal shots himself. The government says he obtained the weapon and helped put the attack in motion.

Read More: Keefe D On Trial For The Murder Of Tupac Shakur: How To Watch

Wright had already become part of the prosecution’s case before Davis began publicly casting suspicion on him. Police interviewed Wright ahead of Davis’ indictment, and Wright later testified before the grand jury. He told 8 News Now that he expected an arrest after speaking with investigators. “It was refreshing that it was getting out there,” Wright said, adding that it was “unfortunate that ‘Keefe’ didn’t know the difference between a proffer and immunity agreement.”

That has become important because Davis’ earlier cooperation with investigators is another major fight at trial. His attorneys unsuccessfully sought to prevent prosecutors from using a recorded law-enforcement interview, arguing that Davis believed he was protected from prosecution for what he disclosed. The court ultimately allowed the interview into evidence. Davis has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Read More: Tupac Murder Trial: Everything You Need To Know About Keefe D's Case

About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming the Co-Head of Original Content. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, and Amy Luciani—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.