The Nevada court has released a witness list of more than 200 names ahead of the trial that begins with jury selection on Aug. 10, 2026, reopening questions about who will answer for the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur. The presence of high‑profile figures — from former label executives to law enforcement and family members — raises immediate legal and evidentiary stakes, and could reshape public understanding of a case that has simmered for three decades.
The document, filed by prosecutors, lays out a wide cast of potential witnesses in the prosecution of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who faces a single count of murder with a deadly weapon and an alleged gang enhancement. Davis has pleaded not guilty; prosecutors say he supplied the weapon and instructed members of the South Side Crips to open fire.
Key names to watch
Some of the most notable entries on the list are long‑familiar to anyone who has followed the Tupac investigation — and several could offer testimony that intersects with earlier public claims, memoirs and grand jury material.
- Marion “Suge” Knight — The Death Row cofounder was in the vehicle with Tupac the night he was shot. Knight is serving a lengthy prison term on an unrelated conviction and has publicly declined in the past to participate in proceedings about the 1996 attack.
- Eugene “Gene” Deal — Once a bodyguard for Sean “Diddy” Combs, Deal has given interviews about the night of the shooting and has appeared at related court proceedings in recent years.
- Kirk Burrowes — A cofounder and former president of Bad Boy Records, Burrowes has accused others in civil filings of fomenting violence; his claims have been cited in later lawsuits tied to the rivalry between East and West Coast labels.
- Reggie Wright Jr. — Former LAPD officer who ran security for Death Row in 1996; he has testified previously about a heated exchange between Combs and Knight that prosecutors point to as context for the shooting.
- Sekyiwa Shakur and other family members — Tupac’s sister, stepbrother and cousins are listed as potential witnesses.
- Yusuf Jah — Coauthor of Davis’ 2019 memoir; the judge has ruled portions of that book admissible, and prosecutors say its contents are relevant because Davis made them public.
- Greg Kading — A retired LAPD detective who says he interviewed Davis in 2009 and received statements that prosecutors contend amount to a confession; Davis’ lawyers dispute the voluntariness of those statements.
- Ross Goodman and Oscar Goodman — Ross briefly appeared for Davis early on; his father, the former Las Vegas mayor, is also listed.
- Joe Lombardo — Nevada’s governor and a onetime Las Vegas law‑enforcement official, included likely because of connections to local agencies involved in the original and renewed investigations.
- Paula Clemons and other close associates — Family members and people from Davis’ circle appear on the list, along with filmmakers and documentarians who have investigated Tupac’s death.
| Name | Role / Connection | Why they matter |
|---|---|---|
| Marion “Suge” Knight | Death Row cofounder; passenger the night of shooting | Could corroborate or contradict accounts of the shooting and the events earlier that night |
| Eugene Deal | Former bodyguard to Sean Combs | Has publicly described night-of dynamics and attended related trials |
| Yusuf Jah | Coauthor of Davis’ memoir | His involvement ties the book to the case; passages will be offered as evidence |
| Greg Kading | Retired LAPD detective | Recorded an interview in 2009 that prosecutors say contains incriminating statements |
The list overall spans law enforcement witnesses, experts, family members and people who have publicly investigated the murder. Prosecutors argue the breadth of testimony is necessary to establish how the shooting unfolded and whether a gang enhancement applies. Defense attorneys have already challenged the admissibility of some material, including whether statements made to investigators or in published memoirs can be used at trial.
Two pieces of evidence prosecutors have emphasized are the grand jury transcripts released earlier and Davis’ own public statements, including passages in his memoir. The prosecution maintains such material helps connect Davis to the weapon and the alleged instruction to shoot; the defense counters that some statements were made under duress or were misrepresented.
What this means now
For readers following this decades‑old mystery, the trial brings concrete consequences: a criminal verdict could finally assign legal responsibility for Tupac’s death and revive scrutiny of unresolved related attacks, including the 1997 killing of The Notorious B.I.G. For jurors, the case presents unusual source material — published books, long‑ago interviews and testimony from incarcerated witnesses — creating complicated credibility questions.
Practically, logistics will matter: some witnesses are behind bars or live out of state, and a handful have signaled they do not plan to cooperate, which could force prosecutors to rely on prior statements and documentary evidence. The judge’s earlier ruling permitting Davis’ memoir into evidence already signals prosecutors will press to use public statements against him.
Upcoming courtroom milestones to watch: the completion of jury selection on Aug. 10, the prosecution’s opening statements, and whether any high‑profile witnesses — particularly those who earlier resisted testifying — take the stand. Each decision will affect how jurors and the public understand events from that night in 1996.
What to watch this week:
- Whether jury selection moves quickly or stalls over pretrial motions
- Which of the listed witnesses are actually called and in what order
- How the court handles contested evidence, especially the memoir and grand jury material
The release of this witness list marks one of the clearest signposts yet that a long‑standing investigation into a defining moment in hip‑hop history is moving toward resolution in a courtroom. Expect intense media attention and detailed courtroom reporting as testimony unfolds.
