LAS VEGAS — Prosecutors have rested their case in the Tupac murder trial, clearing the way for Duane “Keffe D” Davis to begin presenting his defense. The shift came Wednesday after eight days of testimony in Clark County District Court.
Davis, 63, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed Tupac Shakur. Prosecutors do not accuse Davis of firing the fatal shots. Instead, they argue that he obtained the weapon and helped organize the attack.
State closes after about 25 witnesses
The prosecution called about 25 witnesses and presented hours of recordings, interviews and evidence. Its final witness was Adam Stoehr, an electronic evidence specialist with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office.
Stoehr explained how he prepared video clips and recorded jail calls for jurors. Those clips included Davis discussing his memoir and speaking about his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson. Prosecutors used the recordings to support their claim that Davis repeatedly described his role in the shooting.
Jurors also heard portions of Davis’ 2008 police interview and public comments. In those accounts, Davis placed himself inside the white Cadillac connected to the attack and discussed how a gun moved through the vehicle.
Prosecutors argue the shooting was retaliation
The state says the killing followed a fight inside the MGM Grand after a Mike Tyson boxing match on Sept. 7, 1996. Casino video showed Shakur, Marion “Suge” Knight and members of their group attacking Anderson, who was Davis’ nephew.
Prosecutors say Davis and his companions later searched for Shakur and Knight near the Las Vegas Strip. Gunfire struck their BMW near Flamingo Road and Koval Lane. Shakur suffered four gunshot wounds and died six days later at age 25.
The state’s case relied heavily on Davis’ own words because investigators never recovered the murder weapon. Prosecutors also presented testimony about gang structure, the casino fight, the shooting scene, Shakur’s injuries and the long-running investigation.
Defense prepares a shorter case
Defense attorney Michael Sanft has argued that Davis invented or exaggerated his stories to sell books, attract attention and earn money from interviews. He stressed the lack of physical evidence placing Davis in Las Vegas on the night of the shooting.
Sanft told the court that the defense expects to call four witnesses. The planned testimony includes a detective who worked on the investigation after former Las Vegas homicide Detective Brent Becker, along with two Metropolitan Police Department officers who were present in 1996.
The defense does not expect to call Knight, who was driving the BMW when the shooting occurred. Sanft said Knight declined his request for an interview after speaking with investigators for several hours.
Davis must decide whether to testify
Judge Carli Kierny advised Davis that he has the right to testify in his own defense. However, Davis had not announced a final decision when the prosecution rested, and the judge directed him to consider the choice overnight.
The Tupac murder trial is moving much faster than officials initially expected. Defense testimony was scheduled to begin Thursday at noon, while closing arguments could arrive Monday if both sides remain on the current timetable.
The next phase will give Davis’ lawyers their clearest opportunity to challenge the state’s witnesses, recordings and timeline. Still, prosecutors may call rebuttal witnesses after the defense rests.
No verdict has been reached, and Davis remains presumed innocent unless jurors find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Nearly 30 years after Shakur’s death, the Tupac murder trial has now reached one of its most important turning points.
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