Tupac Murder: Will Keffe D’s Own Words Convict Him?

For 27 years, the family of Tupac Shakur. has been waiting for justice. >> Luckiest one, I guess. Hit that corner, gave a little chase. Boom, boom, boom. >> Mr. Davis, you have the right to have. the jury sentence you if they come back. on a first-degree murder verdict, and. you have decided to wave that right. Is. that correct? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. >> After all this time, will someone. finally face [music] justice for the. killing of music icon Tupac Shakur? Right now, attorneys are gearing up to. go head-to-head in a Las Vegas courtroom.

[music] where a former alleged gang. member soon heads to trial for allegedly. orchestrating this infamous crime. We. are looking at everything [music] you. need to know about Tupac, his shocking. death, and the man possibly at the. center of it all, Dwayne Kefei D. Davis. Welcome to Sidebar, [music]. presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse. Weber. We have been following this case for. [music] a while now. Dwayne Kefi D.

Davis, the former alleged gang leader. charged with orchestrating the murder of. Tupac Shakur nearly 30 years. 30 years. after the hip hop legend was gunned down. out in Las Vegas on the Las Vegas strip, jury selection is wrapping up. It is a. remarkable thing to be saying. And just. when you thought that this case couldn't. get any stranger, it has. The trial is. finally here. But before we even get. into the courtroom, we got to understand. who Ke is, how his own words may end up.

sealing his fate. So, I want to rewind. to 2023 when the biggest break in this. case ever was announced. >> Good afternoon. My name is Kevin. McMahill. I'm the sheriff of the Las. Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Thank you for joining us this afternoon. 27 years. 27 years. For 27 years, the family of. Tupac Shakur has been waiting for. justice. We are here today to announce.

the arrest of 60-year-old Dwayne Keith. Davis, aka Kei D, for the murder of. Tupac Shakur. Davis was arrested this morning by my. LVMPD criminal apprehension team and. this investigation started on the 9th of. September 7th, 1996. It is far from over. It has taken countless hours, really. decades of work by the men and women of.

our homicide section to get to where we. are today. >> This was shocking as somebody who. remembers when Tupac was gunned down. Yeah, I was little, but I remember it. It was a big event. All these years. later, an announcement the world had. been waiting for. Three decades in the. making, a shakeup that hit the hip-hop. world on September 7th, 1996. And the. man allegedly behind the murder of Tupac. Shakur. Well, I'll tell you what, you're.

about to beat him. >> They got a medical there. >> They do. Yeah, they got um So, what they. got you for, man? >> Oh, man. biggest case in uh Las Vegas history. >> Oh yeah. >> Yeah. >> Like recent. September 7th, 1996. >> Oh no. Wow. That's a long time. That's a long time. away.

>> You know what I'm talking about though. >> Hm. >> You know what I'm talking about? >> Yeah. Not a detective quite yet, but. yeah. Shit, that's a long time away, man. What. was that? >> 20 something years. No, more than that. >> Yeah. >> Sure took him a while, huh? >> I ain't worried about I ain't. >> Hey, Keith. Metro Police, come over. here. Hey, Metro Police, come over here. All right. Thanks, buddy.

Come on over here. Appreciate your. cooperation. Okay. >> Stand right here in front of the car. Yep. >> Yep. Go and put that down. I know. Hang. on. Put Put that down for a second. All. right. >> You got nothing on you, right? >> Hooks. >> You have anything on you, sir? >> No. >> Dirty. Okay. Yeah. We'll get you a. drink. Hang on. Right. Just want to make. sure you got no weapons on you or. anything. Okay. >> I separate the piece, sir.

>> Thank you. Do. >> you have anything on you, sir? Phone and water. >> Phone and water. >> Perfect. >> We're going to put you in the car. >> I need I need I need to drink some. water, man. I'm thirsty. >> We'll let you get a drink. You just. going for a walk or what? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> You do like a morning walk every day or. >> Okay. >> We'll get you some water, my man. >> Get to the car. Get in now. >> As soon as we get you in the car, we'll. get. >> We'll get you in. Yeah, we're in the.

car. All right. I appreciate it, sir. >> All right. Let's walk over here, sir. Okay, don't worry. Your water's going to. come, sir. >> Yep, that's him. You're going to see a. lot of this guy for the next few weeks. of this trial. That is Kefi D in the. back of a patrol car minutes after his. arrest. Calm, seemingly unbothered, seemingly confident, told the officer he. wasn't worried about anything. But who. really is Kefi D? To understand the.

case, you got to understand the man. And. yes, to be clear, as we go through this. and we go through the allegations and in. the evidence, as we do each and every. day of this trial, he is innocent unless. proven guilty, but there's a lot to. consider here. And I say that because. he's been the one telling us who he is. for years. >> It's just uh our neighborhood. I mean, you know, it's just a family thing. grew. up and there is just our culture energy. coming up. >> Yeah. >> So. >> big brothers in and all that go through.

like that. >> So no initiation was just kind of like. born into it. >> Yeah. Exactly. >> Okay. >> I was there when it farmed the day it. started. So I didn't have to do that. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Jump in. >> Oh we just about maybe about 10 years. old 10 11 years old. I played football. at Greater Compton and his dad uncle was. our coaches. He's overweight, so he kind. of play had to play with us, you know, cuz I'm like a year or two older than.

him. >> So he had to play with those guys that. was a little older than him. >> Yeah. So Kefi D, Suge Knight, they went. way back. They were apparently football. teammates as kids. But in 1996, that relationship would have its biggest. shakeup yet. On the night of September. 7th in 1996, Tupac Shakur along with. Suge Knight and members of their. entourage which include members of Mob. Pyu came to Vegas to attend the Mike. Tyson fight at the MGM Grand Garden. Arena. Members of the Southside Compton.

Crips, which included Dwayne Davis, along with his nephew Orlando Anderson, were also in attendance at the same. event. As both were leaving the fight, members of Death Row Records spotted. Orlando Anderson near an elevator bay. bank inside the MGM. And at that time, they began to kick and punch him near. that elevator bank. I will now show you hotel security. footage as many of you have already seen. related to this incident. And on this.

incident, you will see Tupac Shakur, who's wearing his a shiny satiny shirt. along with Marian Shug Knight, who is a. large man in a brown suit, punching and. kicking Orlando Anderson. Following this incident, you'll see. hotel security intervene. and then they will leave the area of the. fight.

Little did anyone know that it is this. incident right here that would. ultimately lead. to the retaliatory shooting and death of. Tupac Shakur. And then that's when. Dwayne Davis began to devise a plan to. obtain a firearm and retaliate against. Sign Knight and Mr. Shakur for what. occurred inside the hotel against Mr. Anderson. After Davis obtained a gun, he.

entered into a white Cadillac along with. Terrence Brown, DeAndre Smith, and. Orlando Anderson. Based on our. investigation, this is where we know. they were seated. At some point in time, as they were in the white Cadillac, Mr. Davis took the gun that he had obtained. and provided it to the passengers in the. rear seat of the vehicle. As they were. both both as they were driving west on. Flamingo Road near Koval, they located.

the black BMW which was driven by Sug. Knight and in the passenger seat was. Tupac Shakur. And as they turned around, they pulled up near the passenger side. of that vehicle and immediately began. shooting. Dwayne Davis was the shot. caller for this group of individuals. that committed this crime and he. orchestrated the plan that was carried. out. So, the police may have had a. theory here, but it was Kei D himself. who allegedly provided the evidence that. they needed. Interviews, his own book,

his own words. >> I got in the car with Yeah. And we uh. ran into them. We went up to the light. on Sunset and Flamingo. and uh dude uh acting like he was in a. parade or something that and that BMW. hanging out the window. Hey, this Tupac. Tupac and then uh was holling for him. and we there go. came up on the side of him like he was. reaching. Yeah. Look like he's ready to.

bust. >> We got. We was the first ones. >> Yeah. >> Luckiest one, I guess. Hit that corner, gave a little chase. Boom boom boom. Got. the busing. Please bust back and jumped. up out that mother Cadillac, put it put. the gun over her, got. >> Let me break this down a little bit. Okay, in that interview with Urban City, he appears to admit that he was there.

But here's what the defense is expected. to argue. That in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, which prosecutors. expected to build much of their case. around, or part of their case around, Kei D apparently wrote that he was in. the car, that he provided the gun, but. his lawyers have argued that this book. was fictionalized, that it was. exaggerated, all in an effort to make. money, and that it's not clear which. portions Davis actually wrote. Now, Davis himself recently told a Las Vegas.

station that a ghostriter wrote the. book, that he never read it. But the. judge has ruled that he adopted those. statements as his own regardless of who. wrote every portion. Davis also. allegedly said that he didn't pull the. trigger. In fact, he has pointed the. finger at his own nephew, Orlando. Anderson. Remember that name? It's going. to come up a lot during this trial, Orlando Anderson. And Orlando Anderson. died in 1998. Now, does it matter? Here's what police say. >> Well, under Nevada law, and this is the.

law in most states in this country, um. you can be charged with a crime whether. you're directly involved or whether. you're an aid or a better. If you help. somebody commit a crime, you can be. equally as guilty. That is one of the. theories in this case as well. >> So, what happened after the shooting? Kephy D seemingly explained it this way. Yeah, he the only one knew me. He He. told them people that he told he told. the police that keep the nephew.

>> Oh, okay. Cuz I thought he didn't tell. like who it was. >> Yeah. Hell no. That been that dude day. one. He said that keep the nephew. >> Huh. >> He s the police on us the first day. >> Suge Knight, the only other apparent. living witness to this shooting, allegedly told police's name that same. night. But Knight has made it clear he. does not want to testify. He apparently. told ABC News last week that getting on. the witness stand is quote worse than.

taking a gun and shooting that man in. the head. He said his loyalty to Tupac. can never be compromised and that he is. not going to be responsible for sending. another man to prison for the rest of. his life. Knight, by the way, is. currently serving a 28-year prison. sentence in California for an unrelated. fatal hit and run case. >> 48 people would have went to jail. Yeah. >> All their kids would have been affected, their wives, people lost their homes, all that. I really saved their lives, home. >> Yeah. >> They gave me a deal I couldn't refuse. >> So, according to prosecutors, this case.

lay dormant for nearly three decades. But then Davis reportedly began talking, interviews, the book, and it was those. words, according to law enforcement, according to authorities, that gave them. the evidence that they needed. Retired. LAPD detective Greg Kading, who. apparently interviewed Davis in 2008 and. 2009, said that Davis, quote, "Put. himself squarely in the middle of the. conspiracy." He said that Davis acquired. the gun, gave the gun to the shooter,

and was present in the vehicle when they. hunted down and located both Tupac and. Suge Knight. And while awaiting trial, Davis was released on a $750,000. bond. The money allegedly came from a. music manager named Cash Jones, also. known as Wack 100. And how long have you. had that business? >> Oh, uh, roughly 8 years maybe. And again, you used the proceeds from. that business and you provided us with. the documents um, showing that those.

amounts were taken from your business. account. Is that correct? >> Yes, sir. >> How do you know, Mr. Davis, sir? >> Uh, I know him through passing. Um, I. know his son. uh I know him. Uh we sat. down, we talked a few a few times in. general, you know, uh about personal. things. Um. he was having this battle with cancer. Um and you know, um personal things,

industry stuff, you know, just regular. conversation. He's a he's a he's always been a a. monumental guy in our community. conversation. So, you know, and I've. helped several people in our community, whether it was funerals, whether. this cancer has been um I don't know if. it's come out of commissioning or then. speaking with his son. I know he's. having a issue and there's a ling.

>> The other thing you say in the letter. that you Mr. Arnold provided to us is. that the money is a gift and Mr. Davis. is not obligated to repay. Is that. right? >> That's correct. >> All right. Um, are there do you have any um contract. between you and Mr. Davis? >> Not not as not as of yet. >> Okay. Do you have any financial. agreement with Mr. Davis? >> Not as of yet.

>> Yeah. Prosecutors grilled Wack 100 about. this so-called gift. And at this court. hearing, Kei D himself took the stand. >> Mr. Davis, um you heard the conversation. between um your wife and you while. you're in custody. Yes, sir. >> And um when did that conversation. happen? >> This happened. my birthday, June 14th. at that point.

was the um. bond posted. >> No, sir. >> What was the reason that your wife came. down to have that discussion with you in. regards to Mr. Jones and that cash? >> She said, >> "I'm not signing.". >> And when she said that she didn't like. him, who was she referring to? >> Chaos Jones.

her family has. her family have problems. I don't like. she. said. that's what she said and I was just. telling her to throw her the fuck off. Get her off my excuse my get her off my. back. You know what I'm saying? I don't. want to look like no her or her family. You know, >> let me ask the question. Did you think. at that time in the bond process that.

your wife's signature was necessary for. you to be released? >> Yes, sir. >> And so in the effort to convince her to. go ahead and get her signature, what did you tell her in regards to Mr. Jones? >> I said he don't have no money like that. to put up. This is true people. just so she can sign a fucking bond. And. we we don't believe that here. She was. sent off. They put the old paper.

>> Okay. Did you um come to find out that. you did not need her signature to enter. into the bond process? >> Found out just uh following. when she became. And so any conversation that you had. with your wife at that time was in an. effort just to get her to comply with. the bond process. >> That's right. I wanted to come on cuz I. got cancer. You know, I just called it.

back in here eating y'all processed. food. You know, I had to answer right here and. move to this side. Why this processed. food? They don't sell no fruit. You. know, it's just terrible. Fake potatoes, fake milk, fake everything. It ain't. good for ex cancer patient. I'm in a. life situation and I will say anything. to save my life. >> It's probably going to be a problem for. the defense. And look, from everything.

that you heard, how controversial this. is with this, you know, money apparently. being fraudulent and KVD's own. statements. In the end, the bond was. eventually denied and KVD ended up back. in jail. And then you have the jail. calls. And if I had to take a guess, if. this comes into evidence, that the. prosecution would paint the picture that. this man is allegedly violent and. calculating.

>> I got. I don't know what you. know. I got it. I got it. He used to be big bro. [clears throat]. You my big bro. I got it. I just let you know. You can't. you can't. go as hell. I can.

all I can tell you. And [snorts and clears throat] I I do. dirty. You know what I'm saying? I get dirty, dude. >> I wanted to go up in there and start. whooping some. >> He only hit me one time, dog. That's why. I was able to find his ass. That was I. be so crafty. I had the doors unlocked. and all that and they pop my door soon. as I made it come out. I wanted to go up in there. No, no. I'm. just saying I got a problem with my.

dog. Come on. The main thing is me being case. You. >> want me tell you what somebody told me. about your attorney? >> He is not. He's careless. He don't know. how to file paperwork and nothing. >> That's what my That's [clears throat]. what Bruce said. He said that. >> Well, I don't even know how you got that. for. >> Yeah. Oh, he he mad about the jumper, dude.

>> Call his party my dumpster truck. >> Don't look too mad about the jumper. He. said he. >> said that he's a he said that. Yeah, he. got 65 years, bro. >> He said he did Superman bad. That's the. worst ever seen in his life, >> man. Got 65 years, bro. >> Yeah, that's what he said. Punk suit was. mad about that. The whole place down. there mad. >> I think he sending people off. >> Yeah. And here you go with your D. signing off with. >> So here's a question. What exactly is.

the defense here? Right. Well, Kei D's. defense seems to be built around two. things. Number one, he didn't pull the. trigger. Number two, he's been. cooperating with police for years and. that he believed his statements were. protected. On top of the fact that later. on seems to be suggesting, as we. mentioned, that it was exaggerations for. money. The prosecutors counter. The. prosecutors argue that he opened the. door when he started talking publicly. So those statements aren't protected. >> What the jail call actually says is Mr.

Joseph, we need to get some episodes in. before you go to trial. We need to get. 10 episodes done before you go to trial. And let's be honest, I mean, the only. reason why Mr. Davis is up not at all is. because of his his self-proclaimed role. in the murder of Tupac Shakur. That is. his notoriz. This legal process has been. quite long and Kei D by all accounts has. fought a lot has fought so many steps of. this and you think about it one way he. did it trying to get evidence thrown out.

entirely from this trial because in one. key hearing his lawyers tried to get. evidence from his home thrown out. arguing that police embellished the. urgency of it. The judge not buying it. When I look at the fact that this is a. homicide investigation, there is the. anticipated presence of the suspect with. um a prior violent felony and firearm. history as well as a steel door being. present. Um just not a something common.

that officers necessarily encourage. their the officer and public safety uh. concerns do exist. The defendants's. omission arguments do not establish a. showing of intentional or reckless. misconduct required under Franks versus. Delaware. They also don't show that the. inclusion of the omitted facts would. have defeated the good cause finding the. warrant was executed for such a judicial. authorization. There's no show of bad. faith and such suppression is not. warranted here. Motion is denied. >> And in April of 2025, while awaiting. trial for murder, Kei D was found guilty.

of battery by a prisoner. >> Have the jurors reached a verdict? Yes, sir. >> Do we have the verdict? Thank you. Court will now read the. verdict out loud. District Court, Clark County, Nevada, the state of Nevada, plainif versus. Dwayne Keith Davis, defendant. Case. number C25389079-2,

Department 4. Verdict. We the jury in. the above entitled case find the. defendant Dwan Davis as follows. Count. one, battery battery by prisoner, guilty. of battery by prisoner. We the jury in. the above entitled case find the. defendant Dwayne Davis as follows. Count. two, challenge to fight. Guilty of. challenge to fight. Dated this 9th day, April 2025. Signed by Ronnie Medina for.

a person. Ladies and gentlemen of the. jury, is this your verdict is read. So. say you won. So say you all. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Thank you. By the way, I think that's. significant because if KBD were to take. the stand in his murder trial, sometimes. a prior conviction could be used against. you. Okay, just a separate thought. Now, I will tell you in a strategic move. ahead of trial, Kei D told the judge he. wants her, not the jury, to decide his. sentence if he's convicted. It's a. gamble. and his lawyers, by the way,

have also reportedly tried to subpoena. Shawn Diddy Combmes to testify, not to. confirm the allegation, but to deny it. All in an attempt to prove that Kefi D. is a storyteller whose alleged. confessions were basically just. storytelling, were just performances. >> Mr. Davis, my understanding is that um. Mr. Santis made you aware that you have. the right to have the jury sentence you. if they come back on a first-degree. murder verdict. Um, and you have decided. to wave that right. Is that correct?

>> No. >> Okay. So, what that means is when I am. talking to the jurors, I'm not going to. tell them what the potential penalties. are for first-degree murder. Additionally, I'm not going to ask them. if they can um abide by those penalties. and and come up with a sentencing. agreement or sent sentencing decision. And then at the end of the day, if that. is the verdict, it would be me. sentencing you on that as well as the. enhancement. Is that your understanding. of everything that would happen given. this waiver? So, in general, the defense. would have or sorry, the um jury would.

be able to sentence you on the. first-degree murder portion that carries. either 20 years to life or 20 to 50. years, 20 to life or life without the. possibility of parole. In any case, if there's an enhancement, and in this case, there are two. enhancements. There's both the gang. enhancement as well as the deadly weapon. enhancement. That is left up to the. judge. In this case, if it's a. first-degree murder, that has to be an. equal and consecutive 20 uh to life.

sentence or life without the possibility. well 20 to 50 sentence, 20 to life or. life without the possibility of parole. So, that would be up to the judge. sentencing no matter what the jury. found. And here we are nearly 30 years. after Tupac Shakur was gunned down on. the Las Vegas strip. The first criminal. trial in one of the most famous unsolved. murders in American history. It is. happening. Prosecutors are not alleging. that Dwayne Kei D. Davis pulled the. trigger, but they are arguing that under. Nevada law, they don't have to. They.

will try to prove that he was the shot. caller, that he was the one who. orchestrated this attack, that he. supplied the weapon. Now, Kephi D has. pleaded not guilty. He is innocent. unless proven guilty, but if he is. convicted, he faces life in prison. without parole. And we're going to be. covering this every second. We're going. to be following every moment of this. trial, streaming the entire trial on our. Lawn Crimes Trials channel, so stay with. us there. And we plan to do daily recaps. on Sidebar as well. Thank you so much.

for joining us. As always, please. subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you should get your. [music] podcast. You can also check us. out on NBC's Peacock as well. If you. want to follow me, X Instagram, my. NewsNation show, Jesse Weber live, Monday [music] through Friday, 11 p.m. Eastern. See you next time, everybody.