Los Angeles (AP) – An appeal for dismissal of murder charges related to the 1996 killing of rap legend Tupac Shakur has been filed with the Nevada Supreme Court.
Duane “Keffe D” Davis made his appeal on Tuesday after a lower court judge upheld the charges against him.
Davis is the sole individual charged in Shakur’s murder, having been arrested in September 2023. Other alleged conspirators were killed in the same drive-by shooting.
In a past interview, the 62-year-old acknowledged that he provided the firearm used during the incident while promoting his memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” in 2019.
His attorney, Carl Arnold, contended that Davis’ constitutional rights are being infringed upon.
“Davis has been cooperating with law enforcement for over ten years, relying on assurances that his statements wouldn’t be used against him, yet they now form the basis of the state’s case,” Arnold stated.
Arnold filed an initial motion to dismiss the case back in January, claiming constitutional violations due to a 27-year gap before the indictment. He also mentioned that Davis had been granted immunity by both federal and local authorities.
A District Court judge dismissed these allegations, stating that Davis failed to provide evidence of any immunity deals and determined that the delays were not intentional, meaning the prosecution was valid.
According to the appeal, Davis had been interviewed by federal prosecutors in 1998 and 1999 with an understanding that his statements wouldn’t lead to charges. He had, at that time, denied knowing who was involved in Shakur’s death.
He was questioned again in 2008 and 2009 under similar terms, during which he allegedly detailed his involvement and named a suspected shooter.
Arnold argued that the prosecution had not brought forward sufficient evidence beyond Davis’ own testimony to support the murder charge, saying that this should not suffice for a trial. He requested the Nevada Supreme Court to either dismiss the case or confirm that Davis should be exempt from prosecution based on his statements given during law enforcement interviews.
Davis is currently being held at the Clark County Detention Center, with his trial set to start in early February 2026.
Tupac Shakur, who was 25 at the time of his death, had his fourth solo album, “All Eyez on Me,” climbing the charts, selling around 5 million copies. He received six Grammy nominations and is widely regarded as one of the most influential and versatile rappers in history.
