Tupac Shakur murder trial begins nearly 30 years after the fatal Las Vegas shooting.
Prosecutors rely on Keffe D's memoir, interviews and police statements as evidence.
Tupac's family remains cautiously optimistic while seeking truth after three decades of uncertainty.
Tupac Shakur Murder Trial Begins Nearly 30 Years After Rap Icon's Fatal Shooting
Duane 'Keffe D' Davis, accused of orchestrating the killing, has pleaded not guilty as prosecutors prepare to present a case built on his own public statements.
Summary
Tupac Shakur's murder trial has finally begun almost three decades after the rap legend was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. Duane "Keffe D" Davis, who has been accused of orchestrating the 1996 killing, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. Prosecutors allege he organised the attack, while the defence argues there is no evidence proving he ordered the shooting.
Prosecutors rely on Keffe D's own statements
According to The Associated Press, prosecutors are expected to argue that although the identity of the gunman may remain unknown, Davis acted as the mastermind behind the attack by supplying the weapon and directing the shooting. Much of the prosecution's case is based on Davis' memoir Compton Street Legend, along with several media interviews and a 2008 police interview in which he discussed the events surrounding Shakur's death.
The fatal shooting took place on September 7, 1996, when Tupac Shakur was travelling with Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight after a Mike Tyson boxing match. Gunfire erupted from a white Cadillac at a traffic signal, leaving Shakur with multiple gunshot wounds. He died six days later, while Knight survived.
Family hopes trial brings long-awaited answers
Speaking to the Press, Tupac's stepbrother Maurice "Mopreme" Shakur said the legal proceedings had reopened decades of painful memories. It was said by him that the family remained "cautiously optimistic" that justice would finally be served. He also stated that he hoped the trial would be fair and reveal the truth behind the killing.
The report also noted that prosecutors believe the shooting was retaliation after Tupac and members of his entourage assaulted Davis' nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, hours before the attack.
The trial is expected to last about a month. It comes nearly 30 years after one of hip-hop's most enduring mysteries and could mark the closest authorities have come to securing accountability in Tupac Shakur's murder.
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