After three decades of speculation, a US jury has convicted Duane “Keffe D” Davis for his role in the 1996 murder of hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur.

The 63-year-old former South Side Compton Crips boss was found guilty of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon on Monday by a 12-member jury in Las Vegas. He is the first person to be convicted in connection with the case.

Prosecutors told the court that the chain of events started hours earlier on September 7, 1996, when Tupac and members of his Death Row Records crew allegedly assaulted Keffe D’s nephew, Orlando Anderson, inside the MGM Grand Hotel.

Later that night, Keffe D was in the car that pulled alongside the BMW carrying Tupac and Death Row founder Marion “Suge” Knight. Gunmen in the vehicle opened fire, striking Tupac multiple times. The rapper died six days later on September 13, 1996, at the age of 25.

Prosecutors did not claim Keffe D pulled the trigger. Instead, they argued he supplied the firearm and organized the retaliation. Key evidence included his own comments from 2019 media interviews and recorded conversations where he discussed the night of the shooting. His defence team countered that those statements were exaggerated and not proof that he planned the murder.

Tupac’s death remains one of the most referenced moments in global hip hop, and his music still enjoys massive airplay across The world, radio, media and on streaming playlists. The case also marked a turning point in American rap. In the years after 1996, many US labels moved away from overt gangster branding, a shift that opened doors for artists like Eminem and 50 Cent who later became household names here too.

The conviction closes a long chapter, but also reignites debate about violence, fame, and legacy in music.

With the guilty verdict, Keffe D now faces life in prison without parole. Sentencing is scheduled for a later date. The Las Vegas court is expected to set a sentencing date in the coming weeks.