Tupac Shakur murderer Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis sentenced for life

Duane 'Keffe D' Davis has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.

The man found guilty of helping orchestrate the murder of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur more than 30 years ago was handed down his sentence, ABC News reports.

Davis is the first and only person to have been convicted over Shakur's death, with the former Southside Crips gang leader found guilty of murder, not on allegations of pulling the trigger himself, but for making the order to shoot.

Shakur's murder was one of the most infamous crimes in pop culture history, and while Davis had long been associated with the incident, he was not arrested until 2023.

A semi-autobiographical memoir, titled Compton Street Legend, in which he claimed to have provided the gun, served as a key piece of evidence in the investigation and trial.

In the 2019 book, Davis described himself as "one of the only living eyewitnesses to Tupac's killing," writing that he felt "a deep sense of remorse for what happened."

He later distanced himself from the memoir, saying he didn't write all of it, and parts were fictionalised to sell more copies.

Davis pleaded not guilty on the murder charge, and days after his conviction, told The Hollywood Reporter, "I'm not no f**king killer."

However, prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo argued during Tuesday's sentencing hearing that Davis spent years "publicly grandstanding" and bragging about his role on Shakur's death, which he said, "had wide-ranging effects upon the world."

Sekyiwa Shakur, Tupac’s sister, asked the judge to give Davis the maximum sentence, telling the convicted felon he will sit in prison and "contemplate what you've done to the world, not just to me."

Tupac's brother, Maurice Shakur, also addressed the court, asking the judge for "the longest possible sentence,"

Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis was asked by Judge Carli Kierny if he had anything to say, to which he replied, "I'm good. I'm gonna appeal this case for sure."

Before handing down the sentence, Kierny told him, "You don't get to take a man from his family. You don't get to take his very life, his whole future from him, and just walk away from it. Especially when that man is Tupac Shakur. The world never forgot about him and his death."