Opening arguments expected in Tupac murder trial

Thirty years after Tupac Shakur's death, the trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis, accused of orchestrating the murder, is set to begin in Las Vegas. Davis, a former gang leader, faces life in prison without parole if convicted of ordering the shooting that killed the influential rapper.

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But prosecutors aim to show that Duane "Keffe D" Davis, onetime leader of the South Side Compton Crips, ordered the killing and provided the gun used in a drive-by shooting.

Prosecutors intend to prove that Davis, 63, directed the killing and supplied the weapon used in the drive-by shooting. Shakur, then 25, was fatally wounded on September 7, 1996, after attending a Mike Tyson fight. The trial may not definitively identify who fired the fatal shots, as all other occupants of the Cadillac involved are now deceased.

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The killing of Shakur, also known as 2Pac, is one of America's most celebrated cold cases, prompting endless debate among music fans over who did it and why.

The case, one of America's most notorious unsolved murders, has long captivated music fans. Shakur, a prominent figure in the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop rivalry, was associated with Death Row Records, while his rival, The Notorious B.I.G., was linked to Bad Boy Records. The prosecution suggests the murder stemmed from a retaliation incident where Shakur and Suge Knight assaulted Davis's nephew, Orlando Anderson, following an altercation with a Death Row employee.

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Mr Davis was out for revenge, the prosecution says.

Evidence in the case was revived by Davis's 2019 memoirs, in which he described being in the Cadillac and handing over the gun. However, Davis has since recanted, claiming the book's assertions were fabricated for sales. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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In the book, he recounted that he was in the front seat of the Cadillac and that he handed a pistol to those in the back seat.