A jury found Davis guilty in September of one count of murder with a deadly weapon for the rap superstar’s death in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on 7 September 1996. He has said he will appeal the verdict.
The 63-year-old gang boss’ conviction was the first in a cold case that has intrigued hip-hop fans for nearly 30 years.
Prosecutors argued that although Davis did not fire the gun himself, he was the ringleader of the group that committed the murder. He admitted in his memoir that he had provided the gun used in the crime.
The key evidence in the case were Davis’ own words, in which he repeatedly and publicly acknowledged being inside the white Cadillac from where the deadly shots were fired.
In exchange for being shielded from criminal prosecution, he had told authorities about his role in Shakur’s death during a secret 2008 police interview related to the death of fellow rapper Notorious B.I.G., real name Christopher Wallace, who was killed in a shooting just months after Shakur.
Davis elaborated further on his role in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, which led to publicity and media interviews.
But the book and interviews he offered elaborating on his role in Shakur’s killing voided a protective agreement he had established with authorities that had blocked any criminal charges from being filed. A judge then allowed his police interview to be used in the murder trial against him.