An official trial date has been set for the case concerning the 1996 murder of California emcee Tupac Shakur. Duane’ Keffe D’ Davis was indicted and then arrested on charges of murdering the late rapper 2Pac in September. However, he has since pleaded not guilty.
The suspect was arrested following the reopening of the 1996 murder case earlier this year when new evidence emerged. 2Pac was murdered in Las Vegas, where he walked Mike Tyson to the ring of a fight against Bruce Seldon.
A Nevada judge has revealed that the hearing will take place on June 3rd next year. However, Davis’ attorneys, Charles Cano and Robert Arroyo, have said they intend to seek his release on bail before the trial and are preparing to analyse the evidence the prosecution will be using to secure a guilty verdict.
Davis is a well-known member of the Compton Crips and, as well as murder, has been charged with intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang. Davis’ attorneys are working for him on a pro-bono basis and were appointed to him by the courts.
Prior to his arrest in September, Davis admitted in several interviews and in his memoir that he was in the car from which Shakur was shot. However, he claims that another individual fired the shots that killed the musician. The main suspect (Davis’ nephew), Orlando Anderson, died in 1998, and Davis is the last living person who was in the vehicle.
Police allege that Davis killed 2Pac as an act of retribution on behalf of his nephew, who was in a brawl with Shakur earlier on the night he was shot. Many have questioned who committed the crime. However, the only person who truly knows is Suge Knight, who, as a loyal gangster, has never revealed who it was.
In July, Las Vegas police raided the home of Davis’ wife, where they found a Vibe magazine that featured Shakur, several .40-caliber bullets, two “tubs containing photographs”, and a copy of Compton Street Legend. If found guilty, Davis faces the possibility of life in prison.
