Tupac Murder Suspect Dying of Cancer Confesses to Role in Killing

A suspect in the murder of Tupac Shakur has confessed, helping to solve the infamous crime as he himself suffers through cancer treatment.

Shakur’s death has never had a satisfying conclusion. The iconic rapper was targeted in a drive-by shooting in September of 1996. After six days in the hospital, he passed away. Countless theories have cropped up over the years, mythologizing Tupac’s life, work and his death. However, most generally believe it was related to the unchecked gang war between Shakur’s Bloods and the Crips.

In February, after over 20 years, a member of the Crips confessed on camera to being involved in Shakur’s death. Duane Keith Davis — better known as Keefe D — appeared in a BET documentary series called Death Row Chronicles. The mini series covered many of the highlights of early hip-hop, not least of all Davis’s long-awaited confession.

“I was a Compton kingpin, drug dealer, I’m the only one alive who really can tell you the story about the Tupac killing,” he said candidly. “People have been pursuing me for 20 years — newspapers, magazines. I’m coming out now because I have cancer, and I have nothing else to lose. All I care about now is the truth.”

Davis recounted the night Shakur was shot in Las Vegas from his own perspective. He claims that he was there with three other southside Crips, driving around in a white Cadillac. They were looking for trouble, hoping to instigate a fight with Tupac or other members of his entourage.

Davis, his nephew and two others stopped by the 662 Club. In the documentary, a bouncer confirmed that they were there. However, Shakur was not there yet, and they grew impatient and left. As they drove away, they reportedly passed Shakur and his producer, Suge Knight, going in the opposite direction in a black BMW.

According to Davis, Shakur was standing up in the car, his upper body emerging through the sun roof. He was apparently waving to a gang of adoring girls in the car behind him. When they spotted the star, Davis and his friends made a U-turn to go after him.

“All the chicks was like, ‘Tupac! Tupac!’” Davis said. “He was like ‘Hey!’ like a celebrity, like he was in a parade.”

Davis’s recollection matches the details of the crime scene flawlessly. He said that he and his friends pulled up next to Shakur at a red light, at which point someone in the backseat fired four shots at the rapper. They drove away when they saw that he had been hit.

As for who fired the shots, Davis would not say.

“I’m going to keep it for the code of the streets,” he said. “It just came from the backseat, bro.”