After 27 years, the rapper’s murder might actually be solved

NYLA HARRIS / ASST. A&C EDITOR

SATVIKA NITYA / ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

After 27 years, the tragedy of the open case of the murder of the iconic hip-hop artist, Tupac Shakur, finally has a chance of getting solved. A former gang leader named Duane Keith Davis was identified as the one responsible for giving the order of killing the rapper in 1996. Davis was indicted on Sept. 29 by a Clark County grand jury on one count of murder with use of a deadly weapon with gang enhancement.

The killing of Tupac sparked from an entanglement between the rapper’s affiliated gang, Mob Piru Bloods, with Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Babylane” Anderson and his affiliated gang, South Side Compton Crips. 

Due to the deeply rich history of rivalry between the two gangs and rising tensions over conflicts at the time, there was a scuffle that resulted in Anderson being profusely kicked and punched by Shakur and the Bloods after a boxing match at the MGM Grand Hotel in Vegas in 1996.

The jumping of Orlando Anderson gave Davis and the Crips the motive and encouragement to seek revenge. According to ABC News, Davis was the one responisble for  devising a plan to obtain a firearm and retaliate against Tupac for what happened to his nephew. As Tupac was headed to an after party in a black BMW, driven by friend, Suge Knight, a white Cadillac pulled up alongside the car. The Cadillac immediately opened fire, showering Knight’s car with bullets. Tupac suffered four gunshot wounds, with at least two to the chest. He was rushed to the hospital, where he passed away six days later on Sept. 13, 1996.

Initially the investigation was halted, with the police blaming it on a lack of cooperation from witnesses as the reason for not being able to determine who was ultimately responsible. As years went on without any charges, conspiracy theories and accusations that the police had not worked hard enough to bring Shakur’s killers to justice started to spiral.

USD senior Alana Bowers commented on why she believes the case took as long as it did to be revisited. 

“I think the length that it took for the case to be solved is a result or multiple contributing factors. [Police such as] LAPD has a history of disregarding and/or illegitimating cases regarding black victims. Especially in the case of this situation, they have also shown to be far more concerned with directing blame onto affiliation, than seeking justice for affiliated individuals,” Bowers said. “I hope we can take greater steps to dismantle the systems which illegitimate justice for communities of color and bring attention to injustices.” 

The case was revived in 2006, when the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reopened the still unsolved 1977 killings of the Notorious B.I.G or “Biggie” in a shooting thought to be affiliated to Shakur’s death. 

Davis agreed to what is called a proffer agreement, in which a Los Angeles police detective, Gregory Kading promised not to prosecute Davis if he told him truthful information about Tupac and Biggie. Kading taped the interviews he had with Davis, and following his retirement from the Police Department, used parts of Davis’ confession in a 2011 book known as “Murder Rap: The Untold Story of the Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakir Murder Investigations.”  Davis, irritated by the disclosures, was eager to share his own story.

Davis gave his first public interview on the subject of Tupac’s death for a 2018 documentary series called “Death Row Chronicles.” After the series aired with still no charges made, Davis wrote more about the case in his memoir “Compton Street Legend,” adding interviews on the subject. Davis also admitted in his memoir that he provided the gun used in the drive-by shooting.  

Police officials and prosecutors were watching Davis’ interviews closely, looking for ways to legally indict Davis. Although Davis was protected for what he disclosed with Kading, his later confessions were not protected the same.  

Prosecutors on the case collectively determined that there were repeated versions of the night of Tupac’s death, acknowledging that Davis is in fact the person that ordered the death of Shakur. Although Davis’ memoir mentions moments of remorse for the pain the death of Tupac has caused, he holds firm that revenge was necessary for the beating of his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson.

In July of this year, police conducted a nighttime search of Davis’ Las Vegas-area home to find a connection with the Tupac murder investigation. According to ABC News, magazine articles about Tupac and his death were among the items seized by police during the search. 

Davis, now 60, was arrested on Friday, Sept. 23 during an early-morning walk near his home in suburban Henderson. A few hours after his arrest, a grand jury indictment was unsealed in Clark County District Court charging him with murder.

Grand jurors also voted to add sentencing enhancements for the use of a deadly weapon and alleged gang activity. If Davis is convicted, that could add two decades to his sentence.

Davis made his first court appearance on Oct. 4 but the hearing was cut short after he asked District Judge Tierra Jones to postpone the hearing while he retains counsel in Las Vegas. The arraignment is now rescheduled for Oct. 19. 

USD junior Nicole Saravia voiced her opinion regarding how long the case has been open, as well as discussions reminiscing on Tupac.  

 “I’m very shocked with how long the case took, and what that is to say about other deaths within the realm of gang violence. If this important case is just now to be solved, what does that mean for other gang violence related cases that haven’t been solved as well?” Saravia said. “When I was in elementary school, we would always talk about Tupac; of course [it was] Tupac versus Biggie and the East coast versus West coast stuff, but also about conspiracies that came from his death. It’s interesting to see how that is all coming to light now.”

The killing of Tupac Shakur became the subject of books, podcasts, TV series and films, further elevating Shakur and his impact on hip-hop and the world. The rapper’s influence on Black culture is seen accross most of his songs, as Shakur was someone who constantly spoke up about the systemic oppression that puts the Black community in a vicious cycle of hardship. His death, and the closing of the case, has left the community reflecting on Tupac’s impact.

USD senior Chris Curtis discussed Tupac’s legacy following his death and the recent closing of the case.

“The world hasn’t been the same without Tupac.  I wasn’t alive to experience him on this earth, but I was able to feel the effect he had on this world with his music,” Curtis said.  “I’m glad that this case has been solved, justice has finally been served.  RIP to one of the greatest and most influential artists of all time.”

Although it took 27 years, the case regarding Tupac Shakur’s murder may be closed once and for all. The closing of this murder case has sparked reflection on all the ways Tupac has, and will continue to impact the lives of many.