Tupac killing: Vegas PD seize bullet cartridges, computers from gang member who says he was in shooter's car

Rapper Tupac Shakur poses in front of a black background

July 20, 2023 3:20 PM PT

As part of a newly revived investigation into Tupac Shakur’s killing, Las Vegas police seized .40-caliber cartridges, computers, photos and other materials this week from the home of a gang member who said he was in the car from which the deadly shots were fired in 1996, records show.

Police searched the home of Duane Keith Davis, 60, a.k.a. Keffe D, in Henderson, Nev., on Monday night using a warrant that allowed them to seize a host of materials connected to the shooting of the popular hip-hop artist near the Vegas Strip, according to the warrant approved by Clark County Judge Jacqueline M. Bluth.

The judge also authorized Det. Clifford Mogg to seize any items that could tie Davis to the Southside Crips, a Compton street gang, according to the warrant, first obtained by NBC News.

Neither Davis nor the listed resident of the home returned phone calls for comment for this article.

In his book, “Compton Street Legend,” Davis described his activities in the South Side Compton Crips gang and said he was inside the white Cadillac that pulled alongside the black BMW in which Shakur was riding near the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 7, 1996, when the rapper was shot. Shakur was hit multiple times and died a few days later.

Davis also said he is the uncle of Orlando Anderson, another Crips member who was identified early on as a suspect in Shakur’s slaying and who was also in the Cadillac along with two other men that night. Anderson was killed in a gang shootout in Compton a year and a half after Shakur’s death.

In approving the search warrant, Bluth agreed to seal an affidavit by Det. Clifford Mogg that set out the probable cause for the seizure of the collected items and that probably detailed the reasons for reviving the cold case.

With the help of a SWAT team, homicide detectives entered Davis’ home on Maple Shade Street shortly after 10 p.m. Monday evening and recovered more than two dozen items as part of the murder investigation, all tied to Davis.

Authorities seized three iPads, six computers, an iPhone, a hard drive, eleven .40-caliber cartridges, a copy of Davis’ book, suspected marijuana, a copy of documentary materials and two boxes of photos as well as a Vibe Magazine that featured Shakur, according to the search warrant.

On security camera footage from a neighboring home, a supervisor with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department can be seen using a bullhorn to order residents to come out with their hands up.

A statement issued by Las Vegas police on Tuesday is the first time in years that any law enforcement agency has publicly revealed that it is actively pursuing inquiries into the shooting.

“LVMPD can confirm a search warrant was served in Henderson, Nevada, on July 17, 2023, as part of an ongoing investigation,” the statement said. “We will have no further comment at this time.”

Nevada does not have a statute of limitations for prosecuting homicide cases and can, under certain circumstances, hold responsible those in the getaway vehicle even though they did not pull the trigger.

Shakur was gunned down while riding in a BMW driven by Marion “Suge” Knight. Knight, then-owner of Shakur’s record label, was leading a procession of luxury vehicles past the MGM Grand Hotel and Caesars Palace on their way to a new nightclub.

It was after 11 p.m. that Saturday when the BMW stopped at Flamingo Road and Koval Lane, a block from the Vegas Strip, authorities said. Shakur was flirting with women in a nearby car, unaware that a white Cadillac had quietly pulled alongside the BMW. A gunman inside the Cadillac reached out and pointed a semiautomatic pistol straight at Shakur, according to police and court records.

Four gunshots struck Shakur while another grazed Knight, authorities said. Shakur died from his injuries six days later on Sept. 13. He was 25.

Despite numerous investigations by Las Vegas and Los Angeles police as well as federal law enforcement agencies, no one has ever been arrested in the killing.

Las Vegas police previously investigated Anderson in connection with the slaying. He was identified as having been involved in a physical altercation with Knight, Shakur and his bodyguards on the night of the fatal shooting.

Anderson, 21, was a member of the Southside Crips, authorities said. Shakur and Knight were affiliated with a rival Compton gang, the Mob Piru Bloods; Shakur’s bodyguards were also members of the Bloods.

Shakur’s death — and that of New York rival Notorious B.I.G.,who was slain in Los Angeles six months after Shakur — has long been the subject of conspiracy theories and a slew of documentaries, including USA Network’s “Unsolved,” A&E’s “Who Killed Tupac?” and the 2015 movie “Murder Rap: Inside the Biggie and Tupac Murders.”

Last month, Shakur received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was previously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, his first year of eligibility.

Times staff writer Kenan Draughorne contributed to this report.