Under a desert canopy on Fremont Street, tourists rode zip lines while a courtroom three blocks away filled with jurors listening to the opening statements in the murder trial of Duane Davis, the only person ever charged in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur.
Defense attacks decades‑long narrative
Defense attorney Michael Sanft told the jury that Davis’ repeated public statements – from a secret 1998 LAPD interview to recent podcasts and a self‑published book – were a two‑decade‑long fabrication. Sanft displayed the word “BULLSH*T” on a slide to summarize his argument.
Prosecution paints a picture of revenge
Prosecutor Binu Palal described Davis as a man who cannot stay silent about his alleged involvement. The state presented evidence that an assault on Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, outside the MGM Grand in 1996 sparked a revenge motive. A hotel bill showing 75‑cent local calls and an analog videotape of the incident were introduced as relics of a pre‑smartphone era.
Witnesses and technology of the past
Retired investigators testified via Zoom from distant homes, while former Death Row Records head of security Reggie Wright, Jr. testified from an electric scooter due to long‑COVID complications. Former Las Vegas police officer Dean O’Kelley explained that homicide detectives still keep a VHS player to view the old footage.
New claims and old contradictions
During a 2018 documentary, Davis claimed he had arranged to obtain the gun used in Shakur’s murder, later saying the weapon passed to his nephew. He also alleged that music executive Sean “Diddy” Combs offered a million dollars for the killing, a claim the rapper’s representatives have denied.
Legal battles over evidence
Sanft objected to the jury hearing recordings of Davis’ past interviews, but Judge Carli Kierny allowed them, noting they matched statements in his book and other public remarks. By the end of the first week, Davis, who had remained silent in court, accused prosecutors of leaking his address and that of his sister.
The trial, expected to last about a month, continues to test the limits of memory, documentation, and the passage of time as jurors weigh whether Davis is a serial liar or a stone‑cold killer.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
