Tupac Shakur's brother 'cautiously optimistic' about justice ahead of murder trial
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Tupac Shakur's stepbrother, Mopreme Shakur, has opened up about the upcoming murder trial of Duane 'Keffe D' Davis, who is accused of killing the late rapper in the 1996 Las Vegas shooting.
As the trial begins on Monday, August 10, nearly 30 years after the killing, Mopreme remains cautiously optimistic that his brother may finally receive justice.
Davis was arrested on September 29, 2023, after being indicted by a Nevada grand jury and taken into custody.
Mopreme Shakur breaks silence on Tupac trial
Speaking to CNN on Friday, August 7, Mopreme described revisiting Tupac's death as a difficult experience while expressing hope that the trial could finally bring justice to the iconic rapper.
“It’s been rough, as it would be for anyone revisiting a situation like this,” he said. He continued, “We are just being cautiously optimistic and letting the process take its course.”
Mopreme also reflected on his close relationship with Tupac, explaining that his brother's death meant losing both a family member and a professional partner. “Not only did I lose a brother, but I also lost a colleague and a partner,” he stated.
The 'Thug Life' member worked with Tupac throughout his career and appeared on every album except the rapper's final release, 'The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory.'
Tupac was shot on September 7, 1996, while sitting in a car with former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight shortly after the pair attended a Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Tupac died six days after the shooting, and the case remained unsolved for nearly three decades before Davis was arrested in 2023 in connection with the rapper's killing.
Duane 'Keffe D' Davis denies Tupac murder
Davis is currently being held at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas and has pleaded not guilty to murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
In a jailhouse interview with Fox 5 on August 7, he claimed he was not in Las Vegas at the time of the shooting and denied writing the 2019 book 'Compton Street Legend,' alleging that a ghostwriter wrote it.
“I did not write that book,” he insisted, adding that he kept his name on the memoir so he could “make my family some money.” He also claimed his family's life was in danger, alleged that “a bunch of lies” were circulating, and referenced a gag order.
He stated that he would testify if he “has to” and would continue fighting for his innocence, adding, “If I don’t win in this court, I’ll win in the next level.”
The book describes a plan to confront Tupac and Suge Knight after an earlier fight.
Davis wrote that he obtained a gun, got into a Cadillac with three others, searched for the pair, and eventually spotted them in a car before pulling alongside them.
Prosecutors allege Davis was the “shot caller” for the group that fatally shot Tupac and wounded Knight. Their case is largely based on Davis' own statements in his book, podcast and documentary interviews, as well as statements he made to police
