Tupac Shakur murder trail begins nearly 30 years after rapper's death

The long-awaited trial over Tupac Shakur’s 1996 killing is finally underway, nearly three decades after the rap icon was gunned down in Las Vegas.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the only person ever charged in the case, faces a murder charge as prosecutors seek to prove he helped orchestrate the shooting.

Jury selection began Monday, August 10, in Clark County District Court, with the trial expected to last about a month. Prosecutors are not claiming Davis pulled the trigger, but allege he helped set the deadly attack in motion and provided the gun used in the shooting.

Shakur was riding in a BMW with Marion “Suge” Knight on Sept. 7, 1996, when a white Cadillac pulled alongside them and opened fire. Shakur was struck several times and died six days later at age 25.

The investigation remained cold for years until Davis’ public statements and memoir revived interest in the case. He was arrested in 2023 and pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors expect to call 35 to 45 witnesses, including people connected to Shakur and Davis. The trial will be televised.