Witness threat claims delay hearing for Duane 'Keffe D' Davis in Tupac Shakur murder case
A bail hearing for the man accused of orchestrating the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur was postponed Tuesday amid prosecutors’ allegations that he poses a risk to potential witnesses in the case.
Lawyers for Duane “Keffe D” Davis had filed a motion seeking that he be released on his own recognizance ahead of the June trial or that a reasonable bail be set. But they pushed a Nevada judge to postpone the hearing after prosecutors alleged in a filing last week that jail telephone recordings and a list of names provided to Davis’ family members show that the defendant poses a threat if released, the Associated Press reported.
Davis, 60, an admitted "shot caller" for the Compton Southside Crips, was arrested in late September in connection with Tupac's slaying, two months after Las Vegas police served a search warrant at his home in Henderson, Nev. He has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge and has remained jailed without bail since.
In an October recording of a phone call by Davis from the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, prosecutors say Davis’ son told the defendant about a “green light” authorization.
“In (Davis’) world, a ‘green light’ is an authorization to kill,” prosecutors Marc DiGiacomo and Binu Palal told Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny in the court document.
The court filing made no reference of Davis instructing anyone to harm someone or anyone being physically harmed, but prosecutors say at least one witness was provided assistance from federal authorities “so he could change his residence.”
The Clark County Public Defenders Office did not immediately return requests for comment Tuesday.
Read more: Suspect in Tupac Shakur's killing, an admitted Crips 'shot caller,' won't face the death penalty
Robert Arroyo, one of Davis’ court-appointed attorneys, told the AP the defense wanted its response to the threat allegations in writing. He declined to provide details. Arroyo said last week he did not see evidence that any witness in the case had been named or threatened.
Arroyo and co-counsel Charles Cano say Davis is in poor health, poses no danger to the community and won’t flee to avoid prosecution. They are asking his bail set at no more than $100,000.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
