What we learned in court today
• The trial of Duane Keith Davis, who is charged with one count of murder with a deadly weapon in the death of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur, began with opening statements Monday morning in Las Vegas from both sides.
• Prosecutors called Shakur’s 1996 killing “an act of revenge” and said Davis showed “visceral anger” at Shakur for years. Meanwhile, the defense argued there is a lack of facts in the case.
• The jury heard testimony from four witnesses — including an officer who pulled over Marion “Suge” Knight and Shakur the night of the shooting and a woman who was in the car ahead of Knight and Shakur when the shooting happened. Several of Shakur’s family members, including his sister, were also present in the courtroom.
• Prosecutors do not claim Davis fired the shots that killed Shakur 30 years ago, but instead allege he orchestrated the killing in retaliation for an assault on his nephew. Davis, 63, has pleaded not guilty.
Our live coverage has ended
Today’s live coverage of day one of the trial of Duane Keith Davis, who was indicted in 2023 in Tupac Shakur’s death, has ended. Scroll through the posts below to catch up on what happened in Las Vegas court today.
Harrowing testimony and attorney clashes mark day one of Tupac's murder trial. Catch up here
Inside a hushed courtroom in Las Vegas this morning gathered grieving family members, news cameras, restless jurors and Duane “Keffe D” Davis — the first and only person ever charged in connection with the 1996 murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur.
The 63-year-old appeared in court Monday to stand trial for the first time, facing accusations from Nevada prosecutors that he masterminded Shakur’s murder, to which he has pleaded not guilty
Day one of Davis’ trial finally brought the 30-year unsolved murder into a courtroom where prosecutors used surveillance footage, audio clips and witness testimony to walk jurors through the timeline of events of September 7, 1996, which ended in the drive-by shooting that claimed Shakur’s life.
Here’s a recap of what happened in court today:
- Prosecutors establish arguments: In their opening statement, prosecutors decried the murder of Shakur as an “act of revenge” for an attack on Orlando Anderson, Davis’ nephew, earlier that same September 1996 evening. Prosecutors played surveillance video of that attack along with audio of Davis speaking in 2008 about the night of the murder, saying Davis had displayed “visceral anger” at Shakur over the past 30 years.
- Defense questions evidence: The defense’s opening statement zeroed in on poking holes in evidence linking Davis to Shakur’s murder. Defense attorney Michael Sanft questioned why Davis hadn’t been charged earlier after admitting to his role in the murder and called his past statements “bullsh*t.” He also criticized detectives previously assigned to the case, calling a former detective’s work “biased, sloppy, and incomplete.”
Watch testimony from Ingrid Stokes below from today’s day in court:
- Witnesses describe night of the murder: Former police officer Garry Dale recalled riding in the ambulance with an injured, defiant Shakur who said, “We’ll take care of it,” when Dale asked who pulled the trigger. Behind them on the strip, shooting witness Ingrid Stokes described the terrifying roar of gunfire as she was heading to the same club as Shakur when the shooting began.
- State calls former cops to the stand: In lengthy testimony, retired detective Brent Becker described hurdles in the murder case and suspicions he held about music executives during his investigation to the court. The state’s final witness, retired LAPD detective Fred Miller, laid out connections between Davis and another of hip-hop’s most infamous murders, that of Christopher Wallace, also known as rapper “Biggie Smalls” or “The Notorious B.I.G.”
- Court adjourned until Tuesday: Jurors were excused for the day and are expected back in court at 9 a.m. local time (12 p.m. ET) tomorrow.
Look back at Tupac's fleeting career nearly 30 years after his death
Defense attorney says clients "jitters are out" after first day
After the first day of his murder trial, Duane “Keffe D” Davis is feeling more comfortable, according to his defense attorney.
“He was hopeful,” said Michael Sanft. “He’s in a good place right now. The jitters are out.”
Sanft focused the first day of testimony on questioning the thoroughness of the work of investigators in the three decades-old case, saying he’s not convinced Tupac Shakur’s murder will ever be solved.
“I mean, the evidence has gone cold. It’s stale now,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that there’s any real hope for that.”
What is a proffer?
Prosecutors say Duane Davis gave information about his role in the murder of Tupac Shakur to investigators over 10 years ago in a pair of recorded interviews lawyers call a “proffer.”
Under a proffer agreement, suspects share what they know privately, usually to see whether a deal can be worked out for a lesser charge or lighter sentence.
If there’s no deal, prosecutors usually can’t use the information against them.
Prosecutors have contended the statements to police under the limited proffer agreement are game because Davis subsequently repeated many of those statements publicly, and the judge in the case has ruled his previous police interviews are admissible as evidence.
A refresher on the key players in the Tupac Shakur murder trial
Almost 30 years after the killing of Tupac Shakur — who, at 25, was at the height of his career — the only person ever charged in his death is on trial.
Duane Keith Davis is accused of orchestrating Shakur’s killing in September 1996, and the lore of other rappers and gangsters looms large over his trial.
Aside from Shakur and Davis, here’s a refresher of the case’s key players:
- Marion “Suge” Knight: Knight and Davis are the only remaining people alive who were directly involved in the encounter that led to Shakur’s death. Knight is the powerhouse who ran the West Coast-based Death Row Records. While Knight’s testimony could prove valuable to the trial and he’s on the witness list, he previously told TMZ in a phone call from prison that he is not interested in testifying in the case against Davis.
- Orlando Anderson, Terrence Brown and Deandre Smith: These three men were in the car with Davis the night Shakur and Knight were shot. They have all since died, but they were named as co-conspirators in the indictment against Davis.
- Christopher Wallace: While Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G., wasn’t directly involved in the shooting that killed Shakur, his name could be mentioned in the case. Wallace died about six months after Shakur, in Los Angeles in March 1997, also in a drive-by shooting. Clifford Mogg, a retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police detective, testified before the 2023 grand jury that detectives who investigated Shakur’s killing “believed that people associated with both murders were involved.”
What Duane Davis said about Sean "Diddy" Combs and Tupac in his memoir
In his memoir, Duane Davis recalls a conversation with Sean “Diddy” Combs, then one of the biggest rappers and producers on the East Coast, about the late rap legend Tupac Shakur.
Combs — who was convicted in 2025 on federal charges in New York on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — allegedly asked Davis for help with “a couple of problems I need to be handled,” referencing Marion “Suge” Knight and Shakur, Davis wrote in his 2019 memoir “Compton Street Legend.”
Combs, who is listed as a potential witness for the trial, called allegations of any involvement by him “nonsense” in a 2016 interview with the syndicated radio show “The Breakfast Club.” He has never been charged in connection with the case.
CNN has reached out to Combs for additional comment.
While Davis wrote that Combs came to him for help, he pointed to the fight between Shakur, his entourage and Davis’ nephew, Orlando Anderson, at the MGM Grand as the main grounds for wanting to confront Shakur.
"A lot of information to take in," Sekyiwa Shakur says about the first day of trial
After the court adjourned, Tupac Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, shared with CNN what the family thought of the first day of Duane Davis’ trial.
“It was just a whole lot. A lot of information to take in,” she said.
She was seated in the audience at the court today, along with other members of the family.
Look back at Tupac's fleeting career nearly 30 years after his death
The court has adjourned for the day
The court has adjourned for the day and it is expected to resume tomorrow at noon ET.
The jury has been excused for the day
The jurors have been excused for the day and are expected back in court at 9 a.m. local time (12 p.m. ET) tomorrow.
The attorneys sidebarred with the judge.
Davis is being questioned over day of Biggie Smalls' killing in recorded police interview
Prosecutors are now playing a recording of former LAPD investigator Fred Miller interviewing Duane Davis.
In 1997, Miller was assigned to investigate the murder of Christopher Wallace, also known as rapper “Biggie Smalls” or “The Notorious B.I.G.” Miller had received information that Davis may have been a suspect in that case.
Wallace was gunned down after leaving a Soul Train Music Awards party, which Davis told Miller in the interview that he had also attended the event with friends.
In the 40-minute audio recording being played in court, Miller peppered Davis with many questions about whether he saw the rapper that night, where he went after the shooting and if he noticed anything unusual at the party.
The jury appeared to pay the most attention during the video being played.
Gangs aren't known for talking to police. Here's why Davis said he gave them information
The jury is hearing an interview Duane Davis gave to Fred Miller, a then-investigator with the Los Angeles Police Department.
And during opening statements, the prosecution played clips of Davis talking to a special task force in 2008.
But other investigators who testified today talked about the challenges they faced in getting people to give them information and go on the record and testify.
Speaking to police goes against the code upheld by gang members — a fact Davis acknowledged in his book.
Davis gave information to investigators in a pair of recorded interviews, which lawyers call a “proffer.” Suspects share what they know privately, usually to see whether a deal can be worked out for a lesser charge or lighter sentence. In this case, Davis was staring down the possibility of hefty drug charges.
But after Davis’ arrest, Clark County Judge Carli Kierny ruled the proffer interviews are admissible in Keffe D’s trial because Davis made many of the same statements in his book and media blitz that he had previously told police.
Juror asks retired LAPD investigator about interview related to Biggie Smalls case
Fred Miller, a former investigator with the Los Angeles Police Department, was asked by a juror why the owner of a Chevy Impala was not questioned, as the vehicle was part of an investigation into the murder of Christopher Wallace, also known as rapper “Biggie Smalls” or “The Notorious B.I.G.”
“More than likely he was,” Miller responded. “I do not recall whether he was interviewed or not. It was not by me, that I remember.”
In 1997, Miller had been assigned to Wallace’s case, and had received information that Duane Keith Davis, on trial today for the murder of Tupac Shakur, may have been a suspect.
Trials in the state of Nevada allow for jurors to ask questions of witnesses following cross-examination.
Polaroid of Duane Davis found in car trunk in Compton during Biggie Smalls investigation
A Polaroid photograph of Duane Davis and other men was found in the trunk of a Chevy Impala in Compton, Fred Miller, a former homicide detective at the Los Angeles Police Department, testified.
The car was searched as part of an investigation into the murder of Christopher Wallace, also known as Biggie Smalls or The Notorious B.I.G.
Investigators were looking at Duane Davis as part of this investigation, Miller said, though he was never charged. The car was registered to someone else, but Miller testified that a black Impala was parked in the back of the property where Davis lived.
Miller testified that Orlando Anderson was also in the photo, but he didn’t remember who else is pictured.
CNN’s Nic F. Anderson contributed to this report.
Court resumes after tech problems
Court is back in session.
Zoom seemed to be working a lot better during recess. The court’s IT staff was on the phone with Detective Fred Miller to try to get him closer to his WiFi.
Zoom troubles interrupt court session
The court has taken another 10-minute recess to work on issues around Zoom, which is being used to get the testimony of retired Los Angeles Police Department investigator Fred Miller.
The judge rolled her eyes and sighed during repeated drop-outs, finally calling for a sidebar with attorneys before agreeing to the short delay. Court technology workers consulted the witness during the break to improve his signal.
Next witness is retired LAPD investigator
The prosecution has called retired Los Angeles Police Department investigator Fred Miller as its next witness.
In 1997, Miller was assigned to the murder investigation of Christopher Wallace, known more commonly as rapper Biggie Smalls or The Notorious B.I.G. At the time, Miller had received information that Duane Keith Davis, on trial for the murder of Tupac Shakur, may have been a suspect.
Miller is joining the court from Zoom, where his right thumb appears to be covering much of his camera.
CNN’s Nic F. Anderson contributed to this report.
The Tupac murder trial is back in session
Court is back in session in Duane Davis’ murder trial.
The jury heard opening statements this morning and has heard testimony from three witnesses so far:
- Garry Dale, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer who pulled over Marion “Suge” Knight and Tupac Shakur the night of the shooting.
- Ingrid Stokes, who was in the car ahead of Knight and Shakur when the shooting happened. She and her girlfriends were going to meet Knight and Shakur at a club.
- Brent Becker, a former homicide detective with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
The jury in the Tupac murder trial is partially sequestered. What does that mean?
Jurors is this trial are partially sequestered, which means they are heavily guarded and isolated during the day, but are free to return to their homes at the end of each day of court, up until final deliberations.
In high-profile cases, like this one, even though jurors are instructed not to look at any media reports, it can still happen, defense attorney and former prosecutor Mark Eiglarsh said.
“To the extent that they could be at least partially sequestered, it hopefully shields them from things they should not be considering. They should only be focused on the evidence and the law given,” Eiglarsh told CNN.
Court is in a short break
Judge Carli Kierny just announced court is taking a 15 recess.
Marion "Suge" Knight was "timid" when he showed up to talk to police with three attorneys
A former homicide detective said former Death Row Records CEO Marion “Suge” Knight appeared “rather timid” when the executive showed up to talk to police after the September 1996 shooting with three attorneys in tow, since police considered him a “victim” in the case.
Becker testified earlier in the day that he thought Knight had lied in his interview with police.
“To us, his interview was very practiced, and he was very timid, and I thought he lied to us. He just didn’t know anything,” Becker said.
