2Pac Murder Trial Delayed to 2026 Amid New Evidence Supporting Keefe D’s Defense

2Pac’s murder trial has been postponed until 2026 following the emergence of new evidence that may support Keefe D’s not guilty plea.

Initially set to begin next month in Las Vegas, the trial has been rescheduled to February 9, 2026, after Judge Carli Kierny granted a delay during a hearing on Tuesday (February 18). The decision followed a motion filed by Keefe D (real name Duane Davis), the only individual ever charged in the death of the iconic rapper, citing newly surfaced witness testimony that could help prove his innocence.

“There are still several critical steps needed to ensure Mr. Davis receives effective legal representation,” Judge Kierny stated during the hearing. Keefe D agreed to the delay when asked by the judge.

His legal team argued that more time was necessary to conduct further investigations and interview key witnesses. According to the defense, some witnesses can reportedly verify that Keefe D was not present at the scene of 2Pac’s fatal shooting, which occurred on the Las Vegas Strip in September 1996.

Keefe D has been in custody since September 2023, when he was charged with orchestrating 2Pac’s murder—marking the first arrest in the decades-long unsolved case.

Earlier attempts to have the murder charge dismissed were unsuccessful. Keefe D’s lawyers contended that he had previously secured an immunity deal with law enforcement. They referenced a 2008 interview where Keefe D admitted involvement in the case but claimed it was part of a proffer agreement, which should have protected him from prosecution based on his statements.

However, prosecutors maintained there was no valid immunity agreement, a stance the judge ultimately upheld.

Keefe D’s legal team also argued that some of his past statements about 2Pac’s murder were made purely for “entertainment purposes.”

While Keefe D isn’t accused of directly firing the fatal shots, investigators believe the triggerman was his nephew, Orlando Anderson—a fellow Compton Crip—who had been attacked by 2Pac earlier that night. Anderson was killed in a separate gang-related shooting in 1998.