Duane âKeefe Dâ Davis, the man accused of orchestrating the 1996 murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur, is now asking Nevadaâs highest court to throw out the case. According to Billboard, Davisâ legal team filed a motion on July 29 urging the Nevada Supreme Court to dismiss the murder charges, arguing that prosecutors have failed to produce any concrete evidence beyond Davisâ own past statements.
âThis prosecution has captured worldwide attention,â attorney Carl Arnold wrote in the motion. âThe global public is watching how Nevada upholds due process, fairness, and the rule of law in one of the most closely scrutinized criminal proceedings in recent memory.â
Davis has openly discussed his alleged role in 2Pacâs death in interviews and in his 2019 memoir, where he claimed he handed the weapon to his nephew, the late Orlando Anderson. Anderson and the other individuals believed to be in the car during the shooting have since passed away.
Despite those admissions, Davisâ legal team insists that prosecutors lack independent corroboration necessary to support the charges. âNevada law is unambiguous: a conviction cannot rest solely on an uncorroborated extrajudicial statement,â the motion states. âThe State has offered nothing to corroborate the trustworthiness of Mr. Davisâ alleged statements, and nothing independently connecting him to the murder itself.â
The filing also raises concerns about the time lapse since the crime took place. âAlthough Mr. Davis was not charged until 2023, the prosecution arises from a homicide that occurred in 1996ânearly three decades ago,â Arnold added. âThe Court should exercise its discretion to hear the petition on the merits nowâbefore the damage is done.â
Davisâ attorneys previously tried to have the case dismissed earlier this year, citing lack of evidence such as a weapon or eyewitness testimony. That motion was denied, and the trial is currently set to begin in February 2026.