Keefe D Racked Up Jail Violations Before Tupac Murder Trial

BY Erika Marie
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Jul 23, 1993; USA; Tupac Shakur from the film Poetic Justice. Mandatory Credit: Columbia Pictures/Entertainment Pictures via USA
Jul 23, 1993; USA; Tupac Shakur from the film Poetic Justice. Mandatory Credit: Columbia Pictures/Entertainment Pictures via USA TODAY NETWORK USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Before his Tupac conviction, Keefe D faced multiple jail violations and a separate conviction tied to an inmate fight.

Newly obtained jail records show Duane “Keefe D” Davis repeatedly clashed with inmates and corrections officers during the nearly three years he spent awaiting trial for Tupac Shakur’s murder. The incidents ranged from verbal confrontations over jail privileges to alleged fights, including one that required officers to deploy pepper spray.

According to TMZ, the records cover Davis’ time at the Clark County Detention Center beginning with his September 2023 arrest. They describe several disciplinary problems that were separate from the jailhouse fight for which he was eventually prosecuted and convicted in 2025.

One confrontation allegedly happened in March 2024 after Davis learned he had lost his recreation time for the day. Jail records say he argued with a corrections officer and threatened to punch him in the face before being taken to disciplinary housing. Months later, another dispute over recreation time reportedly ended with Davis kicking his cell door and insulting officers after becoming upset that he could not make a phone call concerning his bail.

Another August 2024 incident began when officers attempted to remove an unauthorized second mattress from his cell. According to the records obtained by TMZ, Davis resisted and was eventually handcuffed. One officer reported suffering a scratch to his knuckle during the struggle.

Read More: Keefe D Addresses Tupac's Family & Diddy In First Interview Since Conviction

Keefe D Already Faced A Separate Jailhouse Conviction

Some of Davis’ problems behind bars went beyond internal discipline. In December 2024, he fought inmate Rochlon Hamilton in a common area at the detention center. A Nevada jury later convicted Davis of battery by a prisoner and challenges to fight. He maintained that he had acted in self-defense. Courthouse News Service reported that a judge sentenced him in May 2025 to 16 to 40 months in prison with credit for time served. The punishment was separate from the Tupac murder case that had originally placed him in custody.

The newly released records describe another fight roughly a year later. In December 2025, Davis was allegedly returning from a visit when he and another inmate began fighting in a dayroom. The records describe the encounter as mutual combat, with both men grappling and throwing punches before an officer used pepper spray to break it up.

Read More: A Guilty Verdict Still Doesn’t Bring Closure To Tupac’s Murder

Of course, these disciplinary records are not part of the evidence that led to Davis’ conviction in Tupac’s killing. Prosecutors instead built their murder case around his years of interviews and recorded statements about the September 1996 shooting, arguing that he helped organize the retaliation and supplied the gun used in the attack. Davis’ attorneys maintained that those accounts were exaggerated for attention and money.

A Las Vegas jury rejected that defense on Aug. 31, finding Davis guilty of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon and intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang. Prosecutors did not accuse him of firing the shots that killed Tupac. They argued that Nevada law made him criminally responsible for helping set the attack in motion. Davis continues to maintain his innocence and has said he intends to appeal. His sentencing in the Tupac case is scheduled for Oct. 13.

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.

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