Judge Raises Suspicions of Cover-Up in Tupac Murder Case: Mystery of Bail Funds Revealed

LAS VEGAS (AP) — On Tuesday, a judge once again turned down a request to release a sick former gang leader from the Los Angeles area, Duane “Keffe D” Davis, as he prepares for his murder trial linked to the 1996 death of hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur. The judge expressed concern about potential deceit regarding the origins of the money meant for his bail.

The ruling came from Judge Carli Kierny of the Clark District Court after Davis’ attorney claimed he would present more documents to show that the music executive willing to pay for Davis’s $750,000 bail had done so legally. However, the judge was doubtful after she received two identical letters that appeared to be from an entertainment company, which Cash “Wack 100” Jones claims transferred the funds to him as payment for his services. One letter bore a name unrelated to the company, while the other contained a misspelled name and a return address linked to a doctor’s office.

Judge Kierny said, “I have a sense that things are trying to be covered up.”

The hearing became contentious when Davis’ lawyer, Carl Arnold, informed the judge that the bail bondsman had provided the entertainment company with specific instructions on how to write the letters, implying that he could attest to their authenticity.

In a harsh retort, prosecutor Binu Palal accused the bail agent of possibly committing a felony by submitting what he called “a false document to this court.” He insisted, “The state takes that very seriously. Be advised that it will not go uninvestigated.”

Both Palal and Arnold refrained from elaborating further on the case. Davis has been trying to secure his release since his arrest in September 2023, making him the sole individual ever charged in connection with one of hip-hop’s longest-standing mysteries. He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges.

Additionally, Judge Kierny postponed the start of Davis’ trial from November 4 to March 17. She had previously denied Davis’ request to have Jones post $112,500 for his release to house arrest, citing concerns about whether they intended to profit from selling Davis’ life story.

Nevada has a law, often referred to as a “slayer statute,” which prohibits convicted murderers from profiting off their crimes.

Jones, who has managed well-known artists like Johnathan “Blueface” Porter and Jayceon “The Game” Taylor, testified in June that he aimed to help Davis because of his battle with cancer and that Davis had “always been a monumental person in our community… especially the urban community.”

In interviews and his 2019 memoir, Davis has claimed that he is the only living suspect in the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur nearly 28 years ago at a traffic light on the Las Vegas Strip. Authorities believe the shooting resulted from rivalry among East Coast members of a Bloods gang faction and West Coast groups of the Crips gang, including Davis, vying for control in the genre then known as “gangsta rap.”