Everyone Who Has Testified in the Tupac Shakur Murder Trial So Far

The long-awaited murder trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis will head into its second week today. The first week lived up to the courtroom drama case followers expected from a murder trial three decades in the making. More than a dozen witnesses have now taken the stand, jurors have heard hours of Davis’s own recorded voice admitting his role in the murder of Tupac Shakur, and the defendant himself has erupted at least twice in outbursts directed at the prosecution. Here’s a breakdown of who has testified so far and who could be called next.

Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis stands trial for the murder of Tupac Shakur

Duane “Keffe D” Davis is standing trial in Clark County for one count of murder with a deadly weapon. The charge stems from the 1996 slaying of rap legend Tupac Shakur. Prosecutors aren’t claiming Davis pulled the trigger himself; rather, their theory is that he orchestrated the hit, supplied the gun, and directed the attack from inside the white Cadillac that pulled alongside Tupac Shakur’s BMW on the night of September 7, 1996.

Tupac was hit by the gunfire multiple times. He died from his injuries six days later in a Las Vegas hospital. Suge Knight was also in the car with Tupac that evening, though he survived the attack. The state’s timeline traces the motive back to an earlier physical altercation at the MGM Grand, involving Shakur, his entourage, and Davis’s nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson. Prosecutors allege Anderson pulled the trigger; he died in a separate, unrelated shooting years later.

The 63-year-old Davis has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he faces the possibility of life imprisonment without parole.

Week 1 witnesses give explosive testimony

The highly anticipated trial is moving pretty fast. While the entire proceeding is expected to last at least a month, the first week brought more than a dozen high-profile witnesses to the stand. A handful of Las Vegas and LAPD police officers, both retired and current, took the stand to share details of their investigation. A forensic pathologist, Dr. Lisa Gavin, testified about Shakur’s autopsy. The expert witnesses eventually gave way to more colorful commentary from people associated with the hip-hop and gang landscapes.

Jurors heard from James McDonald, known as “Mob James,” and Reggie Wright Jr., former head of security for Death Row Records. Both men discussed record-label rivalries and gang connections that led to violence in the 1990s. Devonta “Dirt Rock” Lee, a former gang member, took the stand as well. Lee testified to a physical altercation between Tupac and people associated with Davis at a mall in the weeks leading up to the shooting.

Former FBI Special Agent Wade Lee and retired LAPD detective Daryn Dupree both testified about their past interactions with Davis. Dupree confirmed he was present for a 2008 interview in which Davis discussed his involvement in the shooting. Leonard Jefferson, who took what’s believed to be the final photograph of Shakur alive, described capturing the now-famous image of Shakur and Suge Knight stopped at a red light minutes before the shooting.

Much of the week’s most dramatic testimony was sourced from Davis directly, though he has yet to actually take the stand. Prosecutors played audio from a police interview as evidence during the trial. In the 2008 interview, Davis described handing over the gun used in the shooting. The statement effectively implicated Davis and placed him at the scene of the crime. When asked by an interviewer who shot Tupac, Davis replied, “Going to keep it for the code of the streets. It just came from the backseat, bro.” Prosecutors also played audio in which Davis discussed expecting a payment from Diddy following Shakur’s death. That alleged payment never materialized.

More explosive testimony is expected

The trial of Keffe D might have had an explosive first week, but prosecutors and the defense have not frontloaded all of the drama into week one. More witnesses are likely to take the stand. Suge Knight’s name appears on the formal witness list, though he told TMZ that he is unwilling to testify against Keffe D, despite his connection to the crime. Knight is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence stemming from a 2015 hit-and-run.

A former Las Vegas mayor, various members of Tupac’s family, and Yusuf Jah are all expected to take the stand. Jah co-authored Davis’s memoir. Jah’s testimony is of particular interest. Much of the prosecution’s accusations were also written by Davis himself in that very memoir. His defense team has attempted to position him as an unreliable narrator thus far. Jah could easily put holes in that defense.

Online sleuths who have been following the trial can’t stop talking about whether Sean “Diddy” Combs will take the stand. While Diddy’s name has come up multiple times during the proceedings, he is not currently on the witness list. Diddy is currently serving a 50-month federal sentence on unrelated charges.