Nearly three decades after the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, the man accused of orchestrating the fatal drive-by is fighting to have all charges against him dropped, according to The Associated Press. In Sept. 1996, a gunman opened fire on Shakur as he sat in the passenger seat of a car driven by Death Row Records CEO Marion “Suge” Knight in Las Vegas. Shakur died six days later from his injuries.
Since then, speculation has swirled about who committed the crime, but no suspect had been identified until recently. In Sept. 2023, the case saw a breakthrough with Duane “Keffe D” Davis’s arrest after a search of a Las Vegas home.
“This investigation started on the night of Sept. 7, 1996. It is far from over,” said Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill in a Sept. 2023 press conference.
Now, Davis is seeking freedom. The motion filed accuses prosecutors of “egregious” constitutional violations due to the 27-year delay in bringing charges. Under Nevada law, there is no statute of limitations for murder.
Davis’ attorney, Carl Arnold, filed the motion Monday, Jan. 6, arguing a lack of corroborating evidence and claiming authorities failed to honor immunity agreements granted to Davis during prior investigations.
According to a news release, Arnold says, “the failure to honor immunity agreements undermines the criminal justice system’s integrity and seriously questions this prosecution.”
Trial set for March
Davis’ court-appointed attorneys also filed a bail request last December, arguing he is not receiving adequate treatment for his colon cancer, which is in remission. They also requested that his 2019 memoir and recent interviews, in which he talked about the events of that night, be excluded from the evidence.
Davis has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is set to begin on March 17.
