LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The family of the man accused of orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur has started a fundraiser to raise bail money and secure his release from a Las Vegas jail while he awaits trial.
Keith Davis, the son of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, told NewsNation affiliate KLAS that he set up an online fundraiser called “Free Keefe Davis,” which places blame on the criminal justice system.
Davis, 61, has remained in custody since his arrest on Sept. 29, 2023. In January, Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny set Davis’ bail at $750,000. Davis refers to himself as “Keffe D” not “Keefe” as it appears on the website, though he is sometimes referred to as “Keefe D” or “Keefy D.” Prosecutors spell his name as “Keffe D.”
In June, Kierny denied releasing Davis from jail pending trial after another man, Cash Jones, posted his bond. Jones, an entertainment manager who also goes by the name “Wack 100,” posted 15% of Davis’ $750,000 bail, the amount required to post a bond with the aid of a bail bond company.
Over the course of two hearings, Kierny said she was concerned the bond payment from Jones was a de facto contract for future interviews. She gave Davis and his attorney, Carl Arnold, several attempts to provide more documentation about its source. Prosecutors later alleged a person working to secure Davis’ bail may have committed a felony by submitting false documentation.
“I have a sense that things are trying to be covered up and ultimately in what’s being presented to me,” Kierny said when denying bail a second time in August.
“We only need $75,000 and have a reputable bail company to assist us in posting the bail this judge can not refuse,” the online fundraiser said. “Judge Kierny continues to use arbitrary and cautious requirements to deny Mr. Duane ‘Keefe’ Davis bail.”
Davis has publicly said he was sitting in the front passenger seat of the car, which pulled up side-by-side with Shakur’s, before the September 1996 shooting near the Las Vegas Strip. Marion “Suge” Knight, the then-head of Death Row Records, was driving the car with Shakur sitting in the passenger seat. Knight was injured in the shooting. Shakur died from his injuries several days later.
“He had a generous benefactor pay for his bail and she would not recognize the legitimacy of that person’s business but chose to question the motive behind this generosity,” the fundraiser said. “The person’s motive should have never been legally considered by Judge Kierny just solely the legitimacy of the business.”
The online fundraiser encourages anonymous donations.
“We have continuously seen these games of hidden agendas and moving targets when it comes to minorities and the underprivileged,” the online fundraiser said. “Let’s beat the system at its own game!”
Davis and his son have been vocal in court about their beliefs regarding the senior Davis’ rights. Arnold previously told the local outlet to not trust his client.
Davis’ trial was scheduled to begin in March. If Kierny releases him on bail, he would be confined to house arrest pending trial.