A newly published witness list in the murder trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis shows that prosecutors intend to summon nearly 200 witnesses, including Tupac Shakur’s manager Marion “Suge” Knight, as the long-awaited homicide trial commences next week.
This development comes as a surprise since Knight, who co-founded Death Row Records, previously asserted that he wouldn’t testify, telling TMZ in 2023, “1000% I wouldn’t go.”
Knight is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence in California due to a deadly hit-and-run in 2015. He may testify either in person or remotely, as Nevada law allows remote testimony under certain circumstances that require judicial approval.
The first trial in this 28-year-old case is scheduled to commence on Monday, August 10, 2026. Davis, who has been in police custody since his arrest in September 2023, indicated in a jail interview with KLAS-TV/Las Vegas that he will not accept a plea deal.
“I heard it was like some 10 and 25,” he mentioned during the interview. “I’m not going to take a deal like that… I’ve battled cancer, have three stents in my heart, and the average American lives to around 74 years… Ten years, I’d be dead.”
The Murder Incident
Tupac Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, while riding in a BMW driven by Knight, co-founder of Death Row Records. The incident took place at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas. Shakur succumbed to his injuries six days later at University Medical Center.
According to prosecutors, Knight is the only surviving witness besides Davis, although Davis denies being present in Nevada at the time, stating to KLAS, “I wasn’t in Nevada, period.”
This tragic killing shocked the music industry and remained unresolved for decades until Davis, known to authorities as a self-identified witness, was arrested at his residence in Henderson, NV, nearly three years ago. He faces charges for orchestrating the attack, despite not firing the weapon himself, as Nevada law treats both activities as murder.
Notable Witnesses in the Case
The state’s 11-page witness list includes approximately 200 individuals, comprising expert witnesses and public officials. Among the notable witnesses are:
- Oscar Goodman: Former Las Vegas mayor and a seasoned criminal defense attorney.
- Joe Lombardo: The current governor of Nevada; at the time of Shakur’s murder, he served as a sergeant within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
- Yusuf Jah: Co-author of Compton Street Legend, a 2019 book in which Davis claimed to have been in the front passenger seat of the white Cadillac that shot at the black BMW containing Shakur and Knight. (Davis alleges a backseat passenger fired the shots.)
- Members of Shakur’s family: Specific family members included have not been revealed by prosecutors.
This extensive witness list highlights the broad scope of the prosecution’s case, covering a detailed timeline of gang history, prior statements made by Davis, and the events preceding the shooting.