Tupac Shakur murder suspect Keefe D plans bail bid to fight charge from his sofa & thinks he’ll be home for Christmas
TUPAC Shakur murder suspect Keefe D expects he will be walking the streets again at the turn of the year, his family has claimed.
One-time Los Angeles gang kingpin Keefe – real name Duane Davis – is optimistic he will be released from custody while awaiting trial for his murder charge over the rap icon Tupac’s death.
Keefe – sometimes spelled Keffe – has his lawyers preparing an application for bail, which would release him back to his home in Henderson, Nevada, just 20 minutes from where the assassination took place near the Las Vegas Strip in 1996.
The self-confessed drug dealer aims to have his application heard in the next few weeks with his aim to be with his wife and son in late December.
Keefe will argue that he is not a flight risk or potential absconder and has no more links to the criminal underworld, according to sources.
His family, who supported him in his court trial hearing earlier this week, are adamant he should be at home not “at risk” and “locked away” while awaiting his fate.
The 60-year-old, who appeared in feet shackles and handcuffs at the Las Vegas District Court on November 7, is in protective custody.
One family acquaintance told The U.S Sun: “Keefe wants to be out on bail – and expects that he should be out too.
“His stance is that, ‘I am not running anyway or hiding – I want to fight for my freedom, but do it from the comfort of my home.’
“He has asked his defense team to push forward an application as soon as possible, because he would like to be home at Christmas ideally or at least in the New Year.”
The source added: “Keefe’s hopes of some freedom are based on his actions of the last few years and especially his interactions with Las Vegas law enforcement in recent months.
“He is no longer involved in criminal activity at all. And he could have fled anytime in the last two years when he realized that Metro detectives were actively pursuing murder charges against him.”
‘NOT A FLIGHT RISK’
“Even when they raided his home in the summer, he remained with his family and didn’t flee. He didn’t resist arrest and has been an unproblematic prisoner so far.
“He believes he deserves to be at home while building his defense.
”His health has been up and down in recent years with him battling colon cancer.
“Those close to him feel he will have a better chance of staying healthy away from the custody system,” they added.
LEGAL BATTLE
Special public defenders Robert Arroyo and Charles Cano have confirmed to The U.S. Sun they will file an application.
Both Arroyo and Cano, who have consulted with Keefe since taking over his case from respected high-profile lawyer Ross Goodman, would not elaborate on the timeline of their court plans.
The decision will be down to Judge Carli Kierny, who set his June 3 trial date at this week’s hearing.
It is unknown whether the Clark County District Attorney’s office will attempt to fight his request.
MONEY WOES
One key factor is likely to be the cash amount for bail.
The source said: “Even if bail is agreed. Just how much the bail money is set at could be a problem too. Everyone just has to wait and see.”
Keefe has seemingly struggled to secure funds to employ a legal team and was given the state’s public defenders.
Goodman, who had publicly stated the ex-California drug kingpin has a strong defense against the murder trial, is understood to have not been hired “over money matters among other things.”
The source told The U.S Sun: “Defending yourself in a criminal case of this stature is going to be very expensive. If you want to hire the best in the business, then the fees could be at least hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
‘UP IN THE AIR’
“That money is not available. Keefe lived a pretty humble life. One of the reasons he did interviews about Tupac was because many online guys paid him for his time.
“It is a little up in the air now about his finances,” they added.
The family acquaintance pointed to Keefe’s behavior when Metro detectives and a SWAT team raided his home and his arrest as “vital information” on whether he gets bail.
BROKEN MAN
They added: “Keefe didn’t resist or fight at all. He has been talking about Tupac for fifteen years at least and knew that law enforcement were aware.”
The U.S. Sun was in court to see Keefe’s confident demeanor slip to appear a broken man when he came face to face with his son in court this week.
His son, who had identified himself to court staff as Duane Jr., looked emotional at seeing his dad in shackles and muttered “f**k” loudly before racing out of the courtroom.
It was a far cry from Keefe’s attitude just 40 minutes earlier, where he stood tall and nodded to family members in the gallery and even smirked at members of the media.
‘BIGGEST CASE IN VEGAS HISTORY’
Keefe has enjoyed bragging about his connection to Tupac, even famously telling police it is the “biggest case in Las Vegas history” on his arrest, bodycam footage showed.
He has given many interviews and even written a book about how he was a key player in organizing gang members to hunt down Pac for assassination.
The former Crip gang leader will be saved from death by lethal injection but face life in prison if convicted of being a central figure in the murder of Tupac in Las Vegas, 27 years ago.