Tupac Shakur’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles, asking for damages related to his 1996 murder.
The lawsuit names Duane “Keefe D” Davis, a former gang leader now awaiting trial for his alleged role in the killing, as the main defendant. It also lists other unnamed co-conspirators.
After years of investigations, Davis is the only person ever charged in connection with Tupac’s death. He has pleaded not guilty.
Several US media outlets report that the lawsuit claims there was a complex conspiracy to murder the rapper. It seeks to identify everyone who may have been involved through the discovery process.
Shakur was a leading rapper in the early 1990s, selling more than 75 million records. He was famous for songs like Hit ‘Em Up and California Love, and he also acted in movies such as Juice, Above the Rim, and Poetic Justice.
He was shot four times in a drive-by attack in Las Vegas in September 1996. He died in the hospital six days later at age 25.
Davis was charged with murder in September 2023. Prosecutors say he planned the shooting with his nephew after a fight with Shakur in a casino.
In court, prosecutor Marc DiaGiacomo said Davis, who was once part of the South Side Compton Crips, was the “on-ground, on-site commander” who “ordered the death” of Shakur.
Police said Davis got the weapon from an unnamed associate and pointed to his own statements in media interviews about being in the car when the shots were fired. They did not say who pulled the trigger. The three other people in the car, including Davis’ nephew, have since died.
Davis has pleaded not guilty. His trial is now expected to start in August after several delays.
A new civil case, separate from the criminal trial, was filed on Tuesday by Tupac’s brother, Maurice Shakur. He is acting as the administrator of their late father Mutulu Shakur’s estate.
“Nearly 30 years after Tupac’s death, in 2023, the first – and only – arrest was made,” the court documents stated.
“Related grand jury transcripts and a subsequent Netflix documentary have since revealed the existence of a broader, more complex conspiracy to murder Tupac that involved much more than mere retaliation for a prior altercation.”
The filing says the family hopes to identify all individuals who may have been involved in planning, financing, directing, or carrying out the killing. It cites grand jury materials and the Netflix documentary Sean Combs: The Reckoning as part of its basis for new evidence.
The documentary reportedly included police interview footage in which Davis alleged that Sean “Diddy” Combs offered him $1 million to kill Shakur. Combs has repeatedly denied any involvement, calling the documentary a “shameful hit piece.”
The BBC says it has contacted Combs’ legal team and Davis’ representatives for comment.
