Five things from day 1 of Tupac murder trial 30 years after death book to 'fake gun'

The trial against the only person ever to be charged in connection with Tupac's murder has gotten underway. Thirty years on from his death, prosecutors are hoping to bring an end to the high-profile case.

Tupac Shakur was just 25 when he was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996. Often described as one of the most influential rappers of his generation, his death has remained a mystery as the case has gone unsolved.

However, one charge of murder has been placed on Duane Davis, better known as "Keffe D", which he pleaded not guilty to. The case against David will be argued in Los Angeles for several weeks as evidence is presented to prove his guilt and his innocence.

So, as the official case gets underway, here are five things that we learned from the first day of court proceedings.

Openly admitting role

In his opening statement, prosecutor Binu Palal claimed that Duane had openly admitted to having a role in Tupac's murder in 1996. He explained that in the aftermath of the shooting, many gangsters kept quiet but claimed Duane was "struggling" to deal with the shooting.

The prosecution claimed that between 1998 and 2003, a "number" of different statements had been made by Davis regarding the shooting. However, a major breakthrough came when a recording of a secret interview with a federal officer came to light.

Palal explained his confession came in regard to another police appeal to help catch the killer of the Notorious B.I.G., saying he could not help that case, but could "tell you about Tupac." He added: "He tells a federal taskforce about his involvement which you've heard is orchestration of the murder of Tupac Shakur."

Fake guns

In its own opening statements, Davis' defence team claimed there were significant problems with the police investigation. Representing Davis, lawyer Michael Sanft alleged that many reports that had been made by one specific detective on the case had simply disappeared.

He also claimed that many people working in Compton's police department which was responsible for the oversight of the case had ties to people within gangs. As a result, misconduct and incompetence lead to holes in the initial murder investigation.

This included allegations that another detective had issues with the testing of the supposed murder weapon. He went on to claim that a "fake" gun was given to police to test, instead of the real thing.

Accusations of retribution

Prosecutor Palal explained that it was not Davis who pulled the trigger on the gun. However, he claimed that Davis had planned the shooting as a form of "retaliation". This came after Tupac had allegedly beaten up his nephew.

Footage was shown of Tupac's entourage going on to attack Davis' nephew Orlando Anderson, better known as "Baby Lane". The attack reportedly took place just after the infamous Mike Tyson fight on September 7 that Tupac had been attending.

Palal argued that Davis would agree to this version of events. However, he added that after the attack, Davis would go on to capitalise on the shooting, even releasing a book on what happened.

Witness testimonies

Witnesses were brought in to give their view on what they thought happened that night. Former detective Brent Becker claimed eyewitnesses to the shooting were unsure of how many people were in the car with Tupac when he was shot, arguing there was anywhere between two and four occupants.

Another witness, Ingrid Stokes, saw what happened as she admitted "all hell broke loose" once the shooting started. There seemingly had been erratic driving from cars leaving the fight at the time, including a moment where they swapped drivers in their car over their worries over the other car.

It later emerged through the testimony that there had been a string of similar events in the run-up to Tupac's death. However, some witnesses who watched what happened were unwilling to testify in the case, according to detectives investigating the shooting, due to fear of reprisals.

Questions over Davis' book

Davis was only arrested in connection with Tupac's murder back in 2023, but it later emerged that police were already well aware of Davis before he was arrested. It appeared a deal was struck with law enforcement where he served as an informant in exchange for a lack of charges.

But after Davis released a book in 2019 over the incident, and outlining his role in the murder, police claimed it broke the deal. After "going public" with the information, prosecutors claimed he made himself liable.

Meanwhile, Davis' defence claimed sections of the book had been sensationalised and fictionalised to make a profit. However, the presiding judge has allowed the book to be used as evidence against its author.

The trial continues.

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