Sean “Diddy” Combs’ name has emerged during the trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the man accused of orchestrating the 1996 murder of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur.
Opening statements began in Las Vegas on Monday as prosecutors outlined their case against Davis, nearly 30 years after Shakur was fatally shot in a drive-by attack.
While Diddy’s name was mentioned in the proceedings in connection with Davis and the wider tensions surrounding the 1990s hip-hop rivalry, he is not charged in the case and has not been accused by prosecutors of involvement in Shakur’s killing. His name also does not appear on the official witness list, according to recent reports.
Davis, 63, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, is the only person ever charged in connection with Shakur’s killing.
Prosecutors allege that Davis orchestrated the attack as an act of revenge following a confrontation between Shakur’s entourage and Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, at the MGM Grand earlier on the night of the shooting.
Davis is accused of obtaining the firearm and directing the attack, although prosecutors do not allege that he personally pulled the trigger. The state’s case relies heavily on statements Davis made over the years, including accounts in his 2019 memoir and media interviews.
Shakur was in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996, to attend a Mike Tyson boxing match at the MGM Grand. Later that night, he was travelling in a BMW driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled alongside the vehicle and opened fire.
Shakur was struck multiple times and died from his injuries six days later, at the age of 25.
Davis has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
The trial is expected to revisit the gang tensions and East Coast-West Coast rivalry that surrounded the music industry at the time, as prosecutors attempt to prove that Davis played a central role in planning the attack.