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Jurors deliberate in the trial of rap icon Tupac Shakur's killing
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BINU PALAL: And Duane Davis, in the culture of gangs, could not let that stand. He acquired a firearm, got his group together and went hunting for Mr. Shakur.
That's when Davis wrote that memoir. He gave numerous details about what he did that night, how he was planning to pull the trigger. They restarted the investigation. The prosecution today played a number of segments of Davis telling police and interviewers that he was involved.
Tell him you hear him. Find him guilty.
He accused law enforcement of believing everything Davis said without verification.
How about phone records? How about photographs? What about something like that for Mr. Davis?
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− Sponsor Message Transcript
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Jurors are deliberating in the Las Vegas trial of Duane Davis.
+ Sponsor Message Transcript
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Almost 30 years after the killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur, a jury in Las Vegas convicted a former gang member of his murder.
− Davis is the former gang leader accused of orchestrating the drive-by killing back in 1996 of rap icon Tupac Shakur.
+ The jury deliberated just three hours before reaching a guilty verdict against Duane Davis in the drive-by shooting.
− Steve Futterman has been covering the trial.
+ Now, Davis did not pull the trigger, but he did admit to orchestrating the crime.
− He is on the line now from outside the courthouse.
+ Steve Futterman has been covering this trial and joins us now from outside the courthouse.
− Hey, Steve.
+ Hi, Steve.
− STEVE FUTTERMAN, BYLINE: Hi, Mary Louise.
+ STEVE FUTTERMAN, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa.
− KELLY: Bring us up to speed with what happened today in court, where I understand two very different viewpoints were presented to do with previous statements made by Duane Davis.
+ CHANG: Hi. OK, so the jury spent barely any time to reach this verdict after - what? - a three-week trial. Can you just tell us, like, what was Duane Davis' reaction like when the verdict was read in court?
− FUTTERMAN: Yeah, that's right.
+ FUTTERMAN: Well, it was quiet and subdued.
− The key evidence in this case has always been comments from Duane Davis in his memoir and in interviews with the media and police where he admits providing the gun used in the killing and being in the vehicle that drove up alongside Tupac Shakur.
+ There were no outbursts at all.
− The prosecutor, Binu Palal, told jurors today this was a classic gang revenge killing, that Davis wanted payback after Shakur assaulted his nephew at the MGM Grand Hotel after a Mike Tyson fight.
+ When the clerk said the verdict was guilty, Davis didn't appear to show, really, any emotion. He is the first person to be convicted in Shakur's death, and Davis told the judge after the verdict he plans to appeal. For now, he will remain in jail without bond.
+ CHANG: OK. Let's go backwards just a little bit because today began with closing arguments, of course...
FUTTERMAN: Yeah.
CHANG: ...From both the prosecution and defense. And jurors heard two very different viewpoints. All of it revolved around previous statements that Davis made himself, right?
FUTTERMAN: That's right. The key evidence all along has been the comments from Duane Davis in his memoir and in interviews with the media and police where he admits providing the gun used in the killing and being in the vehicle that drove up alongside Tupac Shakur. The prosecutor, Binu Palal, told jurors this was a classic gang revenge killing - that Davis wanted payback after Shakur assaulted his nephew at the MGM Grand Hotel after a Mike Tyson fight.
− And so what did he do?
+ So what did he do?
− KELLY: Steve, back up.
+ CHANG: Wait.
− For people who have not been following this as closely as you, everything we just heard there was events that are alleged to have taken place in 1996.
+ Just remind us, Steve, why has it taken this long for someone to face charges in this killing?
− Why has it taken so long for somebody to face charges in this killing?
+ I mean, this happened almost 30 years ago.
− FUTTERMAN: Well, the case was basically a cold case until 2019.
+ FUTTERMAN: Yeah.
+ Well, the case was basically cold until 2019.
− He actually said that he would have been the one to shoot Shakur except he was on the passenger side of the vehicle, and Shakur was next to the driver's side.
+ He actually said that he would've been the one to shoot Shakur, except he was on the passenger side of the vehicle and the car that Shakur was in was next to the driver's side.
− Well, you can imagine what Vegas police thought after they found out about that.
+ Well, you can imagine what Vegas police thought after they heard this.
− Still, it took four years to bring the actual charges.
+ Still, it took four years to bring charges.
− Now, at the end of the prosecution's closing, jurors were told, believe him.
+ And at the end, the prosecution's closing, jurors were told, believe him.
− (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PALAL: For nearly 18 years, Duane Davis has told the police, television, books, YouTube interviewers, anybody that will listen he has told he is responsible for the murder of Tupac Shakur.
+ (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PALAL: For nearly 18 years, Duane Davis has told the police, television, books, YouTube interviewers - anybody that will listen he has told he is responsible for the murder of Tupac Shakur.
− KELLY: So how did the defense counter that deal with all these statements made by Davis?
+ CHANG: Well, what did the defense say? Like, how did it deal with all of these statements made directly by their own client?
− FUTTERMAN: Well, the defense argument all along has been, don't believe our client.
+ FUTTERMAN: Yeah.
− And defense attorney Michael Sanft said Davis was exaggerating and embellishing.
+ Well, Davis' - the defense argument all along has been, don't believe our client.
+ Defense attorney Michael Sanft said Davis was intentionally exaggerating and embellishing.
− At one point, he said Davis himself never saw or even read the memoir.
+ At one point, he said Davis never saw or even read his memoir.
− Now, the attorney also challenged whether Davis was even in Las Vegas the night of the shooting.
+ And the attorney also challenged whether Davis was even in Las Vegas the night of the shooting.
− Why, he asked, isn't there anything, something showing Davis in town that night?
+ Why, he asked, isn't there anything - something - showing Davis in town that night?
− (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MICHAEL SANFT: How about paperwork, receipts?
+ (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MICHAEL SANFT: How about paperwork, receipts, things that would indicate that, hey, I bought some stuff here in Las Vegas?
− Things that would indicate that he had bought some stuff here in Las Vegas?
− These people, you know, when you go to a fight, you want to memorialize the moment with a photograph.
+ These people - you know, when you go to a fight, you want to memorialize the moment with a photograph.
− FUTTERMAN: Now, the defense also suggested that law enforcement also ignored other possible theories.
KELLY: All right.
+ FUTTERMAN: Well, the defense also suggested law enforcement ignored other possible theories.
− Well, so now this is all in the hands of the jury. Deliberations have begun.
+ But the jury did not believe any of this, saying Davis was guilty.
− FUTTERMAN: That's right.
+ CHANG: That is Steve Futterman in Las Vegas.
− Always hard to predict how that will go. Could take five minutes, five hours, five days. If Davis is found guilty, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. And in a strange coincidence, next Monday, September 7, marks the 30th anniversary of the shooting of Tupac Shakur.
+ Thank you so much, Steve.
− KELLY: Steve Futterman reporting from Las Vegas. Thank you, Steve.
+ FUTTERMAN: Thanks, Ailsa.
− FUTTERMAN: Thanks, Mary, Louise.