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Duane Davis appeals Tupac Shakur murder conviction to Nevada Supreme Court
Duane Davis, convicted of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur, has filed an appeal with the Nevada Supreme Court. His attorney, Michael Sanft, filed the notice on Oct. 30 but died a week later, leaving the appeal's path uncertain.
LAS VEGAS â Duane Davis, the man convicted of murdering rap legend Tupac Shakur in 1996, has formally appealed his conviction to the Nevada Supreme Court, according to court filings.
Davis' attorney, Michael Sanft, filed the notice of appeal on Oct. 30. Sanft died a week later, and the Clerk of the Nevada Supreme Court electronically filed the case on Monday, Nov. 9. It remains unclear how the appeal will proceed given Sanft's death.
The state Supreme Court has set deadlines: Davis has two weeks to file a transcript request form, three weeks to file a docketing statement, and 120 days to file an opening brief.
A jury found Davis, also known as Keffe D, guilty of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon for the 1996 killing of Shakur near Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas. He was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Davis arranged the fatal shooting in retaliation for a fight involving Shakur and Davis' nephew at a Las Vegas casino. They cited Davis' own statements in media interviews and to law enforcement.
Sanft argued that Davis lied about his involvement to make money from a memoir and documentary interviews, and that there was no evidence placing Davis in Las Vegas at the time of the shooting.
The appeal now moves to the state's highest court, where Davis will seek to overturn his conviction. The case has drawn international attention due to Shakur's enduring legacy and the decades-long mystery surrounding his death.