During a high‑profile murder trial in Las Vegas, prosecutors introduced a recorded 2008 interview between former South Side Compton Crip Duane Davis and law‑enforcement investigators. The interview, part of a proffer agreement tied to separate drug charges, details Davis’s alleged role in the September 1996 shooting that killed rapper Tupac Shakur.
Interview aligns with Davis’s memoir
The hours‑long recording mirrors much of the narrative Davis presented in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend. In both accounts, Davis describes his crew’s movements after a fight between his nephew Orlando Anderson and members of Death Row Records at the MGM Grand, followed by a brief stop at Suge Knight’s Las Vegas Club 662.
According to the interview, Davis and his associates were driving after a liquor‑store stop when they heard fans shouting “Tupac! Tupac! Tupac!” and saw the rapper waving from a car window. Davis says his vehicle made a U‑turn to approach Shakur’s car, with Terrence Brown driving, Deandre Smith seated on the left, and Anderson on the right.
Details of the shooting
Davis recounts that the driver pulled up beside Shakur’s vehicle. He claims he would have fired if the gun had been on his side, but instead handed the firearm to Smith in the back seat. He says Suge Knight looked at him during the exchange, and Davis could not confirm Knight’s fate, noting a bullet struck the back of his head.
Davis estimates about six bullets were fired. He describes Shakur attempting to reach into the back seat as Knight ducked, and witnesses an ambulance arriving shortly after. After fleeing, the group allegedly left the gun on a nearby car before retrieving it the next day.
Legal implications
Defense attorney for Davis dismissed his own public statements as “bullsh*t,” but the judge allowed the recording to be shown to the jury, finding that Davis’s later memoir and interviews effectively nullified any prior immunity. Prosecutors argue the recording strengthens their case that Davis was directly involved in the murder.
The trial will continue Friday, with prosecutors expected to present an additional 2009 recording. The case remains a focal point of national interest, revisiting a murder that has long been a subject of speculation and media coverage.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
