-
Jury selection began in Las Vegas on August 10 as Duane “Keffe D” Davis went on trial over the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur.
-
About 75 potential jurors were summoned, with the trial expected to last several weeks as prosecutors and the defence prepare their cases.
-
Prosecutors are expected to call between 35 and 45 witnesses, including people connected to the events surrounding Tupac’s shooting.
-
Suge Knight, who was driving the car when Tupac was shot, has said he does not want to testify, adding a fresh development to the closely watched case.
August 11, (THEWILL) — Jury selection officially began on August 10, 2026, in the Las Vegas murder trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who has pleaded not guilty to the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur.
About 75 potential jurors were summoned as the court began selecting the panel that will hear the case. The trial is expected to last several weeks, with prosecutors expected to call between 35 and 45 witnesses.
The witnesses could include people who were around Tupac shortly before the shooting, as well as others connected to Davis and the events surrounding the case.
Davis faces a first-degree murder charge and is accused of helping organise the attack. Prosecutors allege that he acted as the “shot caller” and supplied the weapon, although they acknowledge that he was not the person who pulled the trigger.
The prosecution is expected to rely heavily on statements Davis made over the years, including accounts in his memoir and past interviews with law enforcement.
Davis has acknowledged being in the white Cadillac involved in the drive-by shooting but has maintained his innocence and denied being the gunman.
His defence team is expected to challenge the reliability of those statements, arguing that Davis exaggerated some of his accounts over time, including for financial gain and publicity.
The case centres on Davis’ alleged role in the events that led to Tupac being shot on the Las Vegas Strip in September 1996.
READ ALSO: Tupac Murder Trial Begins As Keffe D Faces Court Nearly 30 Years After Rapper’s Death
Suge Knight Declines to Testify
The start of the trial has also brought a significant development involving Marion “Suge” Knight, the co-founder of Death Row Records and the man who was driving the car with Tupac when the shooting occurred.
Knight, who is serving a prison sentence in an unrelated case, told ABC News that he does not want to participate in the trial and asked to be left out of the proceedings.
Knight was driving the black BMW when gunfire erupted on the Las Vegas Strip. He was also wounded in the attack, while Tupac was critically injured and died six days later.
Knight’s decision not to testify means the court may not hear directly from one of the key surviving people who was inside the vehicle during the shooting.
Davis has also asked that, if he is convicted, the judge rather than the jury determine his sentence.
The trial now moves into its next stage as prosecutors and the defence prepare to present their cases before the selected jury, nearly three decades after Tupac’s death.
Evi-Ben Ezaga is an entertainment and society writer with a passion for stories that explore culture, people, and the stories shaping society today.
