Trial in killing of Tupac Shakur begins: 'Act of revenge' or 'fiction'

Nearly 30 years after rapper Tupac Shakur was gunned down in a drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip, the trial for the man accused of orchestrating the killing got underway Monday.

Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, is charged with murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in the rapper’s death. He has pleaded not guilty and if he is convicted, Davis faces life in prison.

What they're saying:

"Let’s be clear, Duane Davis did not pull the trigger. But he did plan the shooting in retaliation of the beating of his nephew," Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors at the start of Davis' Las Vegas trial. "Remarkably, you will learn that from Duane Davis himself."

Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors that the shooting was "an act of revenge" after Shakur's entourage attacked Davis' nephew Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson.

The incident happened outside a boxing match at the MGM Grand just hours before Shakur was killed. Palal claimed that Davis plotted for the next two hours how he could get even for the attack.

The other side:

"What they are telling you, they are representing as fact, when it’s really fiction," Davis' attorney Michael Sanft countered. "There’s no facts."

Sanft added that his client was not arrested at the time because law enforcement believed Davis was "full of crap." He also pointed out that documents from the initial investigation were missing and indicated there was distrust between police departments.

What's next:

The trial is expected to last up to six weeks and may feature testimony from Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight.  

Last week, a jury of six men and 10 women was selected to hear the case.

Tupac Shakur 1996 killing

The backstory:

Shakur was only 25 when he was gunned down in a drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 7, 1996. 

Shakur was in the passenger seat of a black BMW and Knight was driving.  Shakur and Knight had just watched Mike Tyson defeat Bruce Seldon in a boxing match and were traveling to a nightclub where Shakur was scheduled to perform. 

At a red light near the Las Vegas Strip, a white Cadillac pulled up beside them, and a shooting occurred.  Shakur was shot multiple times and died six days later, while Knight survived with minor injuries. 

No weapon was found in Knight and Shakur’s car, according to retired Las Vegas police Detective Clifford Mogg, who was assigned to the investigation in early 2018.

The Associated Press reported that the case went cold until Davis began making public statements about his involvement as a leader of the South Side Compton Crips. 

In 2019, he published a tell-all memoir. The book, along with interviews Davis gave, revived the police investigation.

Shakur's legendary rap career was highlighted by more than 75 million records worldwide with hits including "California Love," "Changes" and "Dear Mama."

Tupac Shakur remains a cultural icon

Shakur remains a cultural icon and is considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time, despite dying at 25. He was nominated for six Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

In recent years, he received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, had a street in Oakland named in his honor and inspired a character in the upcoming video game "Stranger than Heaven."