Duane “Keefe D” Davis is speaking out in a televised interview for the first time since his 2023 arrest. In an interview with ABC News, the California native continues to claim his innocence as he awaits trial for the fatal 1996 shooting.
“I’m innocent,” shared the 61-year-old. “I did everything they asked me to do. Get new friends. Stop selling drugs. I stopped all that,” he continued, referring to police and prosecutors. “I’m supposed to be out there enjoying my twilight at one of my f**king grandson’s football games, and basketball games. Enjoying life with my kids.”
A booking photo of Duane “Keefe D” Davis, photographed off of a television monitor, is shown during a news conference at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarters held to brief media members on Davis’ arrest and indictment for the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur on September 29, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Davis also claimed that his infamous memoir Compton Street Legend did not feature his words, although he shares a co-writing credit. He also alleges, “I’ve never read the book.”
“I just gave him details of my life,” Davis said of the author Yusuf Jah. “And he went and did his little investigation and wrote the book on his own.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Davis proclaims that he has witnesses that will support his alibi in the Las Vegas shooting. He also claimed previous interviews, writings, and other moments where he shared his side of the story were for financial gain.
“God got my back, and God will see me through this,” Davis said. “He had my back with cancer, I survived the streets, and the FBI. That’s a big accomplishment for a man from Compton.”
Duane “Keffe D” Davis appears for a hearing related to his indictment in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, February 18, 2025 at District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada. The judge pushed back the start of his trial to February 9, 2026 in order to give the defense more time to interview witnesses.
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Davis was initially taken into custody in September 2023 for one count of murder with a deadly weapon. Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo claimed that Davis was the “on-ground, on-site commander” who “ordered the death” of the Hip-Hop legend.
In January 2025, Davis’ attorney, Carl E.G. Arnold, filed a motion to dismiss the charges based on the delayed prosecutorial process in his case. He has also pointed to an alleged “proffer agreement” that Davis made with federal investigators with claims that it included a blanket of immunity in exchange for information.
The trial has been postponed until 2026. Davis has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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