TOPSHOT – Duane “Keefe D” Davis, 60, appears in a Las Vegas court on October 19, 2023 for his arraignment on murder charges in the death of rapper Tupac Shakur. Shakur, 25, died on September 7, 1996, six days after being shot while in a car near the Las Vegas Strip. (Photo by John Locher / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JOHN LOCHER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Duane “Keefe D” Davis’s battle in court over the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur has encountered yet another obstacle. On March 10, his attorney, Robert Draskovich, withdrew from the case, citing disputes over retainer fees, according to reports. Judge Carli Kierny approved the withdrawal and set a hearing for March 31 to assign new counsel. This signals a likely delay in the trial schedule. The specifics of the disagreement over fees and budgets remain unclear. Therefore, Davis is left in need of legal guidance with his case still pending.

Since his arrest in September 2023, Davis has cycled through multiple attorneys. Previous lawyers, Carl Arnold and Michael Pandullo—who had collaborated with Draskovich—cited Davis’s altercation at the Clark County Detention Center as a factor in their departure. The frequent turnover has raised concerns over the continuity and strategy of his defense.

Davis Faces Murder Allegations as Tupac Case Reignites

Davis faces serious accusations that he orchestrated Shakur’s murder and allegedly boasted about it across various media. He and his defense team maintain that these claims are exaggerated and lack factual basis. A recent ruling in February further complicated matters. A judge denied Davis’s motion to exclude evidence collected during a raid on his home.

Currently, Davis is serving time at High Desert State Prison for the jail fight while awaiting trial, which is scheduled to begin August 10. The coming months will test his new legal team’s ability to navigate a complex, high-profile case. Observers continue to watch closely as one of hip-hop’s longest-running mysteries moves toward resolution. The courtroom proceedings will determine not only the fate of Davis but also how the decades-old questions surrounding Tupac Shakur’s death are finally addressed.