Inside The Tupac Murder Trial: 11 Key Players To Know

The long-awaited trial of Duane “Keefe D” Davis has officially entered jury selection, marking the first time anyone has faced charges for the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur. The case centers on a deadly night in Las Vegas that followed a Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand, where a white Cadillac pulled alongside Tupac’s BMW and opened fire.

Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, is the only person from that Cadillac still alive to face the music. While he isn't accused of pulling the trigger, Nevada law allows for murder charges against those who help orchestrate a killing. Prosecutors argue Davis organized the hit as revenge after Tupac and his crew attacked his nephew earlier that evening.

The Men in the Cadillac

For years, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson was the primary suspect. As Davis’s nephew and the target of the MGM Grand beating, he was identified by Keefe D in past interviews as the shooter. However, Anderson died in 1998 without ever being charged, and new testimony suggests another passenger, Deandrae “Freaky” Smith, might have actually fired the gun.

Terrence Brown rounds out the four-man group allegedly inside the Cadillac. Identified as the driver, Brown reportedly turned the car around to intercept Tupac’s convoy after spotting him near the Strip. Like the others, Brown is no longer alive, having been killed in 2015, leaving Keefe D to answer for the group's actions alone.

The Witnesses and the Entourage

Suge Knight remains the most high-profile survivor of the attack. Though he was grazed by a bullet and witnessed the entire event, the former Death Row boss has expressed little interest in cooperating with the prosecution from behind bars. His refusal to testify could leave a significant hole in the state’s firsthand account of the shooting.

Members of Tupac’s circle, including Outlawz rapper E.D.I. Mean and bodyguard Frank Alexander, provided early descriptions of the shooter's vehicle. While E.D.I. Mean confirmed the shots came from the back seat, Alexander later criticized the police for not following up on his potential to identify the suspects through a lineup before memories faded.

Tragedy also silenced Yafeu “Kadafi” Fula, who told police he could recognize the Cadillac's driver. The young rapper was killed in New Jersey just two months after Tupac’s death, taking whatever information he had to the grave before he could provide a formal identification for investigators.

Alternative Theories and New Testimony

Denvonta Lee changed the narrative significantly during grand jury testimony. He claimed Deandrae Smith confessed to being the real shooter, allegedly telling Lee that Anderson didn't have a clear shot. This competing account means the jury doesn't necessarily have to decide who fired the weapon to convict Davis of helping plan the crime.

Finally, the defense has attempted to shift the spotlight toward former security head Reggie Wright Jr. and even Sean “Diddy” Combs. While Davis previously alleged Combs offered a bounty for the hit, no evidence has ever been produced to charge the mogul, and Wright has dismissed the claims as a desperate attempt by Davis to avoid his own legal fate.