The Untold Story of Tupac's Murder Timeline Explained

The Untold Story of Tupac’s Murder - Timeline Explained

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re discussing the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur and the 27-year journey to an arrest in the notorious case.

Tupac Against the World

In the 1960s, homicides in the U.S. had a clearance rate of over 90%. By the early 1980s, the clearance rate fell to 70%. In 2020, it was reported that the police solved less than 50% of homicide cases. Despite this low, 2020 still saw the most homicide cases cleared by the police since 1997, one year after Tupac’s murder. In the history of unsolved crimes, Tupac’s death seemed destined to loom over U.S. law enforcement forever. Many were shocked when the 25-year-old artist’s life was cut tragically short on September 13, 1996. For those who had been following Tupac closely, though, the writing was on the wall that his days were numbered. One of the earliest omens came on November 30, 1994.

At the invitation of James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond, Tupac arrived at New York’s Quad Studios where three men attempted to rob him in the lobby. Resisting, Tupac was shot five times. A few others accompanied Tupac, including fellow rapper Stretch, who died in a drive-by shooting exactly one year later. Tupac survived this brush with death, believing that Rosemond set him up. He also accused Sean Combs and the Notorious B.I.G, who subsequently recorded the song, “Who Shot Ya?.” In 2012, while serving a life sentence for other crimes, Dexter Isaac confessed that Rosemond hired him to confront Tupac. Although he might’ve seemed invincible after this, Tupac grappled with his mortality in the song, “If I Die 2Nite,” which was released in 1995.

Rosemond has been serving life since 2015 with conspiracy to commit murder among his charges. While he wasn’t charged with Tupac’s shooting, Rosemond isn’t the only one who reportedly targeted him. In July 1996, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson and his fellow South Side Crips tried robbing Mob Piru member Trevon “Tre” Lane in California. Two months later, Lane was in Las Vegas with Tupac and Mob Piru co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight. Knight also co-founded Death Row Records, which Tupac joined a year earlier. Leaving the Bruce Seldon vs. Mike Tyson match, Lane encountered Anderson in the MGM Grand lobby. Seeking retribution, Tupac beat up Anderson with Knight’s entourage joining. Later that night, Tupac and Knight started driving to Club 662 where a charity concert to distance children from violence was being held. They never arrived.

Death Around the Corner

On September 7, 1996 at 11:15 p.m., Tupac and Knight’s BMW came to a traffic light where they were ambushed by a shooter in a white Cadillac sedan. Tupac’s bodyguard, Frank Alexander, wasn’t present since he was told to drive the car of Kidada Jones, Shakur’s girlfriend who was in their hotel room at the time. Situated in the passenger’s seat, Tupac got shot five times with one bullet hitting his right lung. Although a bullet fragment struck Knight’s head, he managed to drive away from the site with a flat tire. They encountered the Vegas Bike Patrol, who had already pulled them over once shortly before the shooting. Tupac and Knight were subsequently taken to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada.

Six days later, Tupac was pronounced dead at 4:03 PM due to internal bleeding. In 2014, Chris Carroll of the LVMPD claimed that he asked Tupac who shot him shortly before his death. Tupac supposedly responded with an obscenity, although others present have denied hearing this. In any case, few witnesses were willing to talk with the police. Knight declared that even if he did know who shot Tupac, he wouldn’t tell the cops. Rapper Yaki Kadafi, who had been in the car behind Tupac’s, was hesitant to speak with the authorities. Kadafi was shot dead just two months later. While such distrust would prolong the case, the police were also criticized for not trying harder to follow up with Kadafi and other potential witnesses.

A year after Tupac’s death, Sgt. Kevin Manning of the LVMPD cited “a lack of witnesses” and “evidence” in the case, saying that it “may never be solved.” However, Bryan Robinson of Court TV Online questioned if there was really a lack of witnesses “or a lack of investigation.” Many felt that the Vegas Police were overlooking the brawl with Orlando Anderson. While the Vegas Police quickly discounted Anderson as a suspect, the LAPD didn’t. Neither did Afeni Shakur, Tupac’s mother, who took out a wrongful death suit against Anderson, who was pursuing legal action against Knight at the same time. Ironically, a settlement was reached only a few hours before Anderson was killed in an unrelated carwash shootout on May 29, 1998.

People also couldn’t help but draw parallels to the Notorious B.I.G., who died six months after Tupac. In a 2002 L.A. Times article entitled, “Who Killed Tupac Shakur?,” writer Chuck Philips claimed there was evidence that Biggie supplied the murder weapon and offered $1 million to carry out the deed (only paying $50,000). Like Anderson, Biggie denied any involvement. The LVMPD reopened the case the same year that Philips’ article was published. A year later, the Oscar-nominated documentary “Tupac: Resurrection” came out. Despite this renewed interest, the case would lose traction until 2011 when retired LAPD detective Greg Kading self-published a book entitled “Murder Rap: The Untold Story of the Biggie Smalls & Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations.”

All Eyez On Duane Davis

Kading claimed that Sean Combs hired Anderson’s uncle, Duane Keith “Keefe D” Davis, to assassinate Tupac and Knight. Combs called these allegations “pure fiction.” Likewise, “The Killing of Tupac Shakur” author Cathy Scott doubts that Biggie commissioned the murder. However, the book shined a spotlight on Davis, who, like his nephew, is affiliated with the Crips. Seven years later, Kading’s book was adapted into a USA Network miniseries entitled “Unsolved.” Two months after the series finale, Davis claimed that he was in the Cadillac the night Tupac died. Davis added that the driver was Terrence Brown while DeAndrae “Dre” Smith and Anderson were in the backseat. Although Davis refused to name the shooter at one point, he claimed it was Anderson in a police tape.

Like Anderson, Smith and Brown are both deceased. According to Kading, Davis first came forward in 2009. Davis had immunity then, but this didn’t extend to what he said outside of the police interview. Davis says he went public due to a 2014 colon cancer diagnosis, although he’s currently in remission. In addition to confessing, Davis co-authored his 2019 memoir “Compton Street Legend,” exploring the murders of Tupac and Biggie. Davis described himself as an “on-ground, on-site commander,” asserting that he “ordered the death” of Tupac. Yet, it’d take another four years for Vegas Police to raid the home of Davis’ wife, searching for evidence “concerning the murder of Tupac Shakur.” On September 29, 2023, Davis was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Despite Davis’ previous claim that Anderson was the shooter, a witness told a grand jury that it was actually DeAndrae Smith.

Davis may be the only living person connected to Tupac’s murder. Granted, Davis previously claimed that Sean Combs offered him $1 million to execute Tupac, but there’s virtually no evidence backing this up. However, the authorities seem to have a confident case against Davis, who is being held without bail. Suge Knight, who’s currently incarcerated, isn’t convinced that the cops have the right man. Either way, Knight “1,000%” won’t be testifying. After 27 years, this infamous case may finally see a form of closure. Some might find it shocking that it’s taken this long for such a high-profile case to see an arrest. With unsolved homicides now at a record high, though, Tupac’s murder reflects a larger issue in a society plagued with violence.

Have you been following the Tupac case? Share your thoughts in the comments.