In a highly anticipated court appearance, Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis, a former Southern California street gang leader, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to the murder of rap icon Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in 1996. Davis, who is the only surviving passenger of the vehicle from which the shots were fired, is the only person ever charged in connection with the case. The 60-year-old, originally from Compton, California, could face life in prison if convicted.

Davis stood in shackles before Clark County District Judge Tierra Jones as he awaited the proceedings. He waved to his wife, son, and daughter in the packed spectator gallery before declaring his innocence. The judge informed Davis that prosecutors were not seeking the death penalty in the case but that he could face life in prison.

Davis's defense attorney, Ross Goodman, who had previously represented him, lost a bid to continue representing Davis. He argued that prosecutors lacked witnesses and key evidence, including a gun or vehicle, for the 27-year-old murder case. Goodman criticized the evidence, but Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson declined to respond, stating that it would be up to a jury to weigh the results of the police investigation.

The shooting of Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas was believed to be a result of the intense rivalry between East Coast and West Coast groups in the gangsta rap genre. It was alleged that Shakur was involved in a brawl at a Las Vegas Strip casino with Davis's nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, shortly before the shooting. Davis implicated himself in multiple interviews and in his 2019 memoir, in which he described his life leading a Crips gang sect in Compton.

Davis had previously claimed that he was promised immunity from prosecution in 2010 when he cooperated with authorities in Los Angeles and provided information about the fatal shootings of Shakur and rival rapper Christopher Wallace, also known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls.

Tupac Shakur, one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time, had five No. 1 albums, was nominated for six Grammy Awards, and was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. He was also honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this year. Last Friday, a street near where Shakur lived in Oakland, California, in the 1990s was renamed in his honor.

The trial date for the murder of Tupac Shakur is expected to be set on Tuesday, with the trial likely to take place next year. The case has garnered significant attention due to its connection to one of hip-hop's most talked-about killings and its enduring mystery.