Witnesses in the trial of the man charged with murder in the killing of Tupac Shakur, may allegedly be the target of a kill order.
Ahead of Duane “Keffe D” Davis’ trial, who was charged with the murder of the legendary hip-hop artist in September – 27 years after Shakur was fatally wounded from a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, prosecutors have claimed that members of his family have been handed a list of witnesses and a “green light” order to kill has been given.
The order was allegedly detailed during a phone call between Davis and his son on October 9 and led to at least one witness changing their residence, reports Sky News.
Prosecutors Marc DiGiacomo and Binu Palal said in a court filing there were “credible threats to witnesses” that demonstrate Davis “poses a danger to the community”.
Despite the allegations, there is no reference in the filing to Davis instructing anyone to harm anyone or to anyone associated with the case being harmed.
But the prosecutors argue that Davis should remain behind bars until his trial begins on June 3, 2024.
Davis’ lawyer, Robert Arroyo, countered the claims and questioned the alleged phone call between Davis and his son, saying witnesses were not mentioned “let alone threatened”.
His lawyers have also argued that the 60-year-old is not dangerous and would not flee to avoid trial if freed from jail, where they claim he’s not receiving proper medical attention following a cancer diagnosis.
Davis previously pleaded not guilty to the charge of open murder with use of a deadly weapon with a gang enhancement and claimed that his past comments regarding the shooting were simply “entertainment”.
Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty for Davis, who is the only surviving suspect in the case. However, he could face the rest of his life behind bars if convicted.