A Las Vegas jury convicted Duane Keith "Keffe D" Davis of first-degree murder on Monday for orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting death of rapper Tupac Shakur.

The 12-member jury deliberated for about three hours before returning the guilty verdict on the single count of murder with a deadly weapon. Davis, 63, a former leader of the Southside Compton Crips, becomes the first and only person charged and convicted in the decades-old case.

Prosecutors argued that Davis obtained the gun and directed the attack as retribution after Shakur and associates beat his nephew earlier that night at a casino. The shooting occurred on September 7, 1996, when a white Cadillac pulled alongside Shakur's BMW at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip. Shakur, then 25, was hit four times and died six days later.

Much of the prosecution's case relied on Davis's own prior statements, including hours of recordings from interviews, a 2019 memoir titled Compton Street Legend, and other accounts where he described his role as the "shot caller." The defense contended that those statements were exaggerated for profit or attention and lacked corroborating physical evidence.

Davis, who pleaded not guilty, remained expressionless during the reading of the verdict but told the judge he plans to appeal. He faces a potential sentence of life in prison without parole at a hearing scheduled for October 13. Prosecutors dismissed a gang enhancement charge due to witness issues.

Shakur's sister, Sekyiwa "Set" Shakur, was present in the courtroom and embraced prosecutors after the verdict. Family members wiped away tears as the decision was announced.

The conviction closes a high-profile cold case that had fueled speculation for nearly 30 years. Davis was arrested in 2023 following renewed investigation prompted by his public admissions.