Defence lawyers seek to delay Tupac murder trial, citing new evidence

Duane “Keffe D” Davis is seeking to delay his March 2025 murder trial of rap legend Tupak Shakur, citing new evidence that could indicate an alternative cause of death.

Davis was arrested in September of 2023, and is pleading not guilty to the murder of Shakur. The former gang leader is the only person still alive who was found in the vehicle from which shots were fired. Six days later, Shakur died from his injuries sustained during the incident.

Davis’s lawyers claim they have evidence indicating that Shakur was in a stable condition after the shooting. They are also consulting medical experts to investigate other causes of death.

"This case involves decades-old allegations, and with every new piece of evidence, it becomes increasingly clear that critical facts have yet to be fully examined," said Davis’s attorney Carl Arnold.

A motion was filed on Friday to delay the trial. The motion mentions a private investigator, who is said to have identified witnesses able to testify that Davis was not in Las Vegas at the time of the shooting. The same motion suggests that someone else may have orchestrated the shooting entirely.

A hearing was scheduled for Tuesday to discuss if the trial will be postponed.

Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas 29 years ago. He died from his injuries on September 13, 1996, at age 25. Because Nevada does not have a statute of limitations for homicide cases, the first arrest didn't occur until Davis was detained for first-degree murder in 2023. Since his arrest, he has been held without bail.