Ex-Gang Leader Seeks to Have Charges Dismissed in 1990s Killing of Tupac Shakur
Background
An ex-gang leader is seeking to have all charges against him dismissed in the 1996 shooting of rap music icon Tupac Shakur. Duane Davis, a former leader of a Crips gang sect, was arrested in September 2023 near Las Vegas and has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.
Motion to Dismiss
Attorney Carl Arnold filed a motion on Monday in the District Court of Nevada to dismiss charges against Davis. The motion alleges "egregious" constitutional violations due to a 27-year delay in prosecution. The motion also asserts a lack of corroborating evidence and failure to honor immunity agreements granted to Davis by federal and local authorities.
Prosecution’s Response
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson has yet to comment on the filing. However, he has previously stated that the evidence against Davis is strong and it will be up to a jury to decide the credibility of Davis’ accounts of the shooting, including those in his 2019 memoir.
Case Details
Davis is accused of orchestrating and enabling the shooting that killed Shakur and wounded rap music mogul Marion "Suge" Knight after a brawl at a Las Vegas Strip casino involving Shakur and Davis’ nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson. Authorities believe the shooting stemmed from competition between East Coast members of a Bloods gang sect and West Coast groups of a Crips sect for dominance in the "gangsta rap" genre.
Davis’ Account
In interviews and his 2019 memoir, Davis stated that he obtained a .40-caliber handgun and handed it to Anderson in the back seat of a car from which he and authorities say shots were fired at Shakur and Knight in another car at an intersection near the Las Vegas Strip. Davis did not identify Anderson as the shooter.
Outcomes
Shakur died a week later in a nearby hospital at the age of 25. Knight survived and is serving a 28-year prison sentence in connection with the killing of a Compton man in 2015. Anderson denied involvement in Shakur’s death and died in 1998 at the age of 23 in a shooting in Compton. The other two men in the car are also dead.
Investigation
A Las Vegas police detective testified to a grand jury that police do not have the gun that was used to shoot at Shakur and Knight, nor did they find the vehicle from which shots were fired.
Conclusion
The motion to dismiss charges against Duane Davis is a significant development in the 27-year-old case. The prosecution will need to respond to the allegations of "egregious" constitutional violations and the failure to honor immunity agreements granted to Davis.
FAQs
Q: What is the case about?
A: The case is about the 1996 shooting of rap music icon Tupac Shakur, in which Duane Davis, a former leader of a Crips gang sect, is accused of orchestrating and enabling the shooting.
Q: What is the current status of the case?
A: Duane Davis has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and is seeking to have all charges against him dismissed due to alleged "egregious" constitutional violations and failure to honor immunity agreements.
Q: What is the prosecution’s response to the motion to dismiss?
A: Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson has yet to comment on the filing. However, he has previously stated that the evidence against Davis is strong and it will be up to a jury to decide the credibility of Davis’ accounts of the shooting.
