Jury seated in Duane Davis trial over Tupac Shakur’s murder

Nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was fatally shot near the Las Vegas Strip, a jury has been selected to determine whether Duane “Keffe D” Davis is guilty of the rapper’s murder.

The jury consists of 12 members and four alternates — 10 women and six men — selected after days of questioning involving more than 100 Clark County residents.

Davis, 63, is the only person to face charges in Shakur’s death. Prosecutors allege Davis orchestrated the killing, though they do not claim he was the person who fired the shots.

Davis has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. Prosecutors are expected to use Davis’ memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” as well as previous statements he made to police as evidence.

Opening statements are scheduled for Monday, with the trial expected to last four to five weeks. Davis has waived his right to have a jury determine his sentence if he is convicted, meaning the judge would impose the sentence.

The jury selection process highlighted the challenge of finding jurors without strong preconceived opinions about one of the most famous unsolved killings in music history. Potential jurors were questioned about their familiarity with Shakur, gangs, guns, rap music and documentaries or other media about the case.

The proceedings also drew Tupac fans, journalists and people connected to the rapper. Darryl Harper, one of Shakur’s former labelmates at Death Row Records, traveled from Georgia to attend the trial.

Shakur was 25 when he died after being shot while riding in a car near the Las Vegas Strip in September 1996. His death has remained the subject of documentaries, books, podcasts and decades of speculation.

Davis’ trial could finally bring a verdict in a case that has remained one of hip-hop’s most enduring mysteries.