Tupac homicide suspect no longer represented by prominent LV attorney

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a reputed gang member charged with murder in connection with the killing of Tupac Shakur, is expected to be represented by a public defender in Las Vegas, according to Davis’ longtime lawyer.

Las Vegas defense attorney Ross Goodman confirmed Wednesday that he would not be representing Davis, 60, whose arraignment has been delayed twice since he was indicted in September on a charge of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. Davis is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday.

Attorney Edi Faal, a Los Angeles-based lawyer who has long represented Davis, told the Review-Journal on Wednesday that he expects a judge to appoint a representative from the Clark County Special Public Defender’s office to represent Davis. The special public defender’s office handles cases in which there is a conflict of interest with the Clark County Public Defender’s office.

Goodman, the son of Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and former mayor Oscar Goodman, told a judge that he was representing Davis during an Oct. 19 hearing but had not been been officially hired as his attorney.

In an emailed statement sent Wednesday, Goodman confirmed that he was not representing Davis, and said that Davis was “not able to meet the terms of the agreement.”

Another attorney had not been listed for Davis in court records as of Wednesday morning.

District Judge Tierra Jones has said she wanted to “get this case moving” after delays over Davis hiring an attorney.

During Davis’ first court appearance, he asked for the hearing to be postponed because Faal could not attend.

Davis had long been tied to Shakur’s killing, and began making public statements in recent years about the events surrounding the shooting in interviews and his 2019 co-written book, “Compton Street Legend,” in which he claimed he was in the car with Shakur’s shooter.

Prosecutors have accused Davis of being the “on-ground, on-sight commander” responsible for formulating the plan to carry out the shooting to exact revenge on Shakur and Death Row Records CEO Marion “Suge” Knight for a fight at the MGM Grand earlier that night involving Shakur and Davis’ nephew, Orlando Anderson.

Davis remains in the Clark County Detention Center without bail.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.