• Closing arguments are scheduled to begin today in the trial of Tupac Shakur’s murder. The case has remained unsolved for nearly three decades.
• Duane “Keffe D” Davis is accused of plotting the 1996 murder of Shakur near the Las Vegas Strip, and he is the only person ever charged in the killing. Prosecutors allege Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, orchestrated the killing in retaliation after a fight between Shakur’s entourage and his nephew. The prosecution called 25 witnesses over eight days, while the defense called three and rested within 90 minutes.
• Davis is charged with one count of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. He has pleaded not guilty. If convicted of first-degree murder, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Defense Attorney Michael Sanft’s theory has been consistent since opening statements: His client is a liar.
Sanft told jurors that Davis’ admissions — beginning with a 1998 police interview and continuing through proffers, podcasts, a documentary series and his 2019 memoir — were a nearly two-decade work of fiction, summarized on a slide in all capital letters during openings: “BULLSH*T.”
