The murder trial of Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, connected to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, commenced as details of a casino altercation came to light. This incident occurred just hours before Shakur was shot in Las Vegas. Anderson’s uncle, Duane “Keffe D” Davis, is facing murder charges for what prosecutors allege was a retaliatory act following the beating of Anderson by Shakur and his Death Row Records entourage at the MGM Grand.
As the trial unfolds, the long-standing conspiracy theories surrounding Shakur’s death are being revisited, particularly as they intertwine with the subsequent murder of Christopher Wallace, known as The Notorious B.I.G. Despite several investigations failing to yield sufficient evidence for charges, prosecutors are now pursuing the case following Davis's admissions made in his 2019 memoir.
In this book, titled "Compton Street Legend: Notorious Keffe D’s Street-Level Accounts of Tupac and Biggie Murders, Death Row Origins, Suge Knight, Puffy Combs, and Crooked Cops," Davis depicted Shakur’s group as having “crossed the line” during the casino fight. He recounted being in the passenger seat of a Cadillac that approached Shakur’s black BMW, and purportedly passed a firearm to the back seat.
Davis claimed he saw Shakur reaching for a weapon when the shooting occurred, stating that “one of my guys from the back seat grabbed the Glock and started bustin’ back.” However, no weapon was recovered from Shakur’s vehicle. Six days after the shooting, Tupac succumbed to his injuries, while Suge Knight, who survived, is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence for a separate crime.
Defense attorneys for Davis tried to prevent the memoir from being admitted as evidence, arguing its fictional elements and co-authorship leave doubts about its authenticity. They asserted that Davis exaggerated his involvement to profit from the book. In a recent discussion, Davis insisted he had no motive to kill Shakur, offering his support in the establishment of Death Row Records as reasoning behind his innocence.
Adding to the complexity of the trial, prosecutors plan to summon Knight as a crucial witness, as he is one of only two survivors from either vehicle involved in the gunfire. The other key participant, Anderson, was slain in a gang shooting in 1998, and his murder is not believed to be related to Shakur’s case.
Denvonta Lee, a former member of the South Side Compton Crips, is also slated to testify. He alleges that Davis was in charge during the shooting and that it was Deandrae “Freaky” Smith who ultimately fired the shots, after Davis passed the gun to Anderson first.
The highly charged atmosphere of the trial reflects ongoing violence associated with casinos, as evidenced by a spate of incidents in recent years, including a fatal shooting at MGM National Harbor in Washington D.C.
Davis's memoir also points the finger at Sean “Diddy” Combs, suggesting that he wished for Shakur and Knight’s demise, given the rivalry between East and West Coast labels at the time. Combs has repeatedly denied any involvement, and he has not been called as a witness thus far in the trial. Currently, Combs is serving a federal sentence related to prostitution offenses.
Indicted for the murder last September, 63-year-old Davis is being held without bail. He declined a plea deal, fearing it would lead to a life sentence. The case has generated significant public interest, prompting a lottery system to manage courtroom attendance as the trial progresses.
