The long-standing murder case of Tupac Shakur has taken another twist as the man charged with the crime seeks to impede the use of certain evidence against him. Duane Davis, also known as Keffe D, is arguing that evidence obtained from a nighttime search of his home should be suppressed on grounds of unlawful search procedures.
Davis’s attorneys filed a motion arguing that the search affidavit was defective and lacked probable cause. Prosecutors allege Davis ordered Shakur’s 1996 killing in retaliation for a casino altercation, citing Davis’s own public statements as evidence. The defense disputes that claim, calling the evidence implausible, uncorroborated, and reliant on decades-old, self-serving statements.
The defense also challenges the justification for a nighttime search, arguing the investigation lacked urgency. Attorneys say the affidavit overstated Davis’s potential danger, noting his last felony conviction was in 1998, and failed to claim any risk that evidence would be destroyed. “The Affidavit never claimed that evidence would be destroyed, or that there was any other cause for urgency,” the motion states, according to News3LV.
Robert Draskovich, Davis's high-profile criminal defense attorney, filed a 24-page motion, which included an extensive appendix of supporting documents, on December 22. The motion detailed the items seized during the search, such as laptops, tablets, a USB drive, and personal items linked to Shakur. Draskovich challenges the legal justification of the search, stating, "When officers obtain nighttime authorization through bad faith, courts agree suppression is appropriate," as mentioned in a report by WRIC.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has yet to respond to the allegations in Davis' motion to dismiss. District Attorney Steve Wolfson spoke after Davis' arrest about the importance of the case. "We wanted to make sure we get it right. We wanted to make sure we had legally admissible evidence," Wolfson stated, according to WRIC. Davis, currently 62, is also contending with a sentence of 16-40 months for a jailhouse fight and is awaiting a Nevada Supreme Court decision on a motion to dismiss his case, claiming immunity.
