THE gangster accused of masterminding the murder of Tupac Shakur will not explain his decision to confess multiple times to the crime at his upcoming trial – as he will not be testifying.
Keefe D – real name Duane Davis – will refuse to answer questions about his self-confessed role as the shot-caller for the assassination of rap icon Tupac in 1996.
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Keefe, who has previously told in police interviews, documentaries and his own book how he orchestrated the murder and was in the car when his nephew shot Pac, has told family associates, “I ain’t saying s**t no more” to law enforcement after feeling he has “been fitted up” over the crime.
The one-time Compton drug dealer has taken the advice of his lawyer Carl Arnold to invoke his Fifth Amendment right, which protects plaintiffs from self-incrimination or being forced to testify against yourself during a criminal trial.
It comes after Keefe, 60, made two confessions to police – to LAPD in 2008 and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police in 2009 – about how the murder went down – believing he was immune to prosecution because of a “proffer” deal.
However Keefe, who could face life imprisonment if convicted, still believes his case is “winnable,” according to his legal team.
Keefe’s lawyer Arnold does plan to subpoena Tupac’s friend, rap mogul and man driving next to him during his death Suge Knight.
Arnold confirmed to The Sun, “Keefe will not be giving evidence.”
The respected lawyer insists the burden remains on prosecutors to prove Keefe is guilty of being pivotal in Tupac’s death – beyond reasonable doubt.
Arnold said, “He feels that it’s a winnable case. He’s always felt that way. He’s never asked me (to plea bargain). We are going to trial.”
He continues to strive for Tupac’s record label boss and close friend Suge, who was driving the car the rap icon was shot in, to join his witness list.
Suge, a childhood friend of Keefe during their days growing up in Compton, California, has told media outlets he will not give evidence in the high-profile trial set for November.
Arnold confirmed, “I will be subpoenaing Suge Knight.”
A family associate of Keefe told The U.S. Sun that they agreed with the decision not to have him testify – and said the gangster only started making confessions to the crime after seeing LAPD police detective Greg Kading write a book and make money from the case.
The source said, “There is zero benefit from letting Keefe take the stand or face any detailed examination by professional lawyers.
“Keefe is a loose cannon when it comes to running his mouth. It is what has got him in trouble. Given that he confessed to his role in two police interviews and not faced legal actions, you would have thought he’d have shut his a** up.
“But no he couldn’t stop but wanted to get some fame.
“Being on the stand with a professional trial attorney going after your every word, he would likely cause himself problems and end up helping the case against him.
“Keefe felt that the interviews he gave to the LAPD and Metro were under the promise of never being convicted on those matters. Keefe feels that he has been betrayed and lied to by authorities.
“He feels his lawyer has a strong chance of make that stick with a jury and certainly raising reasonable doubt.
“Keefe will have his lawyer argue that his interviews with police officers are protected and should not be held against him or even used in the trial.
“And then his next defense strategy will be that he was greedy when it came to the Tupac case. In the last decade he was asked by TV shows and media outlets to talk about the Tupac killing and he saw it as a money-making scheme.
‘DID IT FOR THE MONEY’
“He was never under oath at all in any of those interviews and after battling cancer thought ‘f**k it – I’m gonna tell some tales’ and making some cash.
“He hated seeing that LA cop [Kading], get lots of limelight and fame from telling his stories.
“Keefe had the attitude of ‘this mother f*****r should not be making money off of me – I am gonna do it myself – and show him.’”
The insider added, “His strategy is a gamble and a little problematic. He is saying I made this all up to make money off Tupac, so don’t believe me… but believe me now when I say that this is the truth.
Given that he [Keefe] confessed to his role in two police interviews and did not faced legal actions, you would have thought he’s have shut his a** up.
Family source
“In reality still, the prosecution still has to do the hard work of proving Keefe was the shot caller and stacking up enough witnesses and paperwork to confirm he was in Vegas that night and did play a key role in killing Tupac.”
Last week, Keefe appeared somber in court in front of the public gallery during a status hearing.
Arnold sat with Keefe before his hearing at the Las Vegas District Court on Tuesday April 23.
The lawyer spoke to shackled Keefe, wearing a dark blue Clark County Detention Center overall, for a few minutes.
Arnold maintains his confidence in having Keefe be found innocent of the murder charges in the upcoming trial.
He said, “Mr Davis was not in Las Vegas at the time, there is no murder weapon and they don’t have car used during the shooting as evidence.”
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