Tupac Murder Mastermind Sentenced to 40 Years to Life

Judge Carli Kierny sentenced Duane "Keffe D" Davis to 40 years to life in prison Tuesday. A jury convicted him in August of murdering Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in 1996.

• 25-year-old Shakur was shot at a red light, dying six days later.
• 3 hours of deliberation followed nine days of testimony.
• Prosecutors sought the maximum sentence; the defense asked for 40 years.
• Shakur's siblings Sekyiwa and Maurice spoke before sentencing.

Why it matters: The case closes a three-decade gap in which no one faced charges for Shakur's death. It rested largely on Davis' own words, not physical evidence.

• Davis described his role in interviews and a 2019 memoir.
• Davis said he passed the gun to the Cadillac's back seat.
• Defense attorney Michael Sanft called the memoir historical fiction told for money.

How 45 sources split on this story

Where they split: Prosecutors and the defense disagreed on whether Davis' public admissions were true or invented to make money.

What’s next: Davis plans to appeal his conviction, his attorney told the court.

• Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said new evidence could bring more charges.
• The other three alleged Cadillac occupants, including Davis' nephew Orlando Anderson, have died.
• Will an appeal succeed given the lack of physical evidence?
• Will Davis' claim that Sean Combs offered money for the killing ever be tested? Combs denies any involvement.