Los Angeles [US], October 14 (ANI): 30 years after the death of rap icon Tupac Shakur in 1996, Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been sentenced to 40 years to life in a Nevada prison for orchestrating the killing, reported Variety.
On Tuesday, Davis appeared in a Nevada court for his sentencing in the case, when the judge handed him 20 years to life for first-degree murder and 20 years to life for a deadly weapon enhancement.
Davis was facing a maximum of life in prison without parole.
Prior to the judge’s decision, prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo pointed out a history of criminal activity and suggested that Davis “earned” the maximum sentence.
“He’s an eight-time felon sitting before you on this crime perpetrated upon these family members, these family members, brothers. And you have to ask yourself, for this crime, for this person, what sentence does he deserve? Whatever your decision is, ultimately, in my mind, he deserves the maximum possible sentence because he’s earned it through his actions, his behaviour, and who he is as he stands here today,” he said, as quoted by Variety.
Before handing down the sentence, Judge Carli Kierny went on to address Davis.
“You don’t get to take a man from his family, you don’t get to take his very life, his whole future from him, and just walk away from it. Especially when that man is Tupac Shakur. The world never forgot about him and his death, and you are going to face justice,” Kierny said, as quoted by People.
Davis’ defence attorney Michael Sanft further claimed that they would appeal the judge’s decision, while Davis addressed the judge, asking for his “stuff back” that was taken from his home.
In court, the late rapper’s sister, Sekyiwa Shakur and brother Maurice Shakur urged the judge to sentence Davis to the maximum punishment.
“Tupac is truly my shining star, my shining prince; he is who God trusted to take care of me. My mother had two children, and God gave him to me, and he’s supposed to be my life partner. I spent 30 years without my protection. I believe that if any life mattered, if all life matters, for sure this man’s life mattered. I do believe when you take a life like that, you deserve every minute, every minute, of the maximum amount of punishment, time to sit down and contemplate what you’ve done to this world. He had so much promise, intentions for a better world for our people; he had plans and manifestos. He’s so much more than street violence,” Sekyiwa said as she struggled holding back tears.
In late August, Davis was found guilty of murder with use of a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. He was convicted after a weeks-long trial in Las Vegas, with prosecutors and police claiming that he orchestrated Shakur’s murder in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996.
It was alleged that Davis handed the murder weapon to the gunman, believed to be either Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson or another man in the car’s back seat.
Tupac Shakur was murdered in 1996 at a red light in Paradise, Nevada. He was shot four times, following which he succumbed to his injuries six days later. (ANI)
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