The wait is finally over. A Las Vegas jury convicted Duane “Keffe D” Davis of first-degree murder on Tuesday, holding him accountable for the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed rap icon Tupac Shakur. The verdict came after a weekslong trial and barely three hours of deliberation, bringing a close to one of the most famous cold cases in music history. Davis, 63, now faces life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for October.

Prosecutors painted a clear picture of Davis as the mastermind. They argued that Davis, a high-ranking gang member, acquired the weapon and ordered the retaliation after his nephew was beaten at the MGM Grand hotel earlier that night. Davis never pulled the trigger, but the jury agreed that his role as the architect made him just as responsible. The case relied heavily on Davis’s own public statements, including interviews and a memoir where he detailed his involvement. His defense tried to frame those words as money-driven bravado, but the jury saw through it. He is the only surviving occupant of the white Cadillac involved in the shooting.

This conviction sends a powerful message, not just about Tupac’s case, but about accountability in hip-hop’s complicated history. Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, Tupac’s sister, was in the courtroom to hear the verdict. For fans who grew up on 2Pac’s music, this moment closes a painful chapter. It also raises renewed questions about the still-unsolved murder of The Notorious B.I.G., another shadow hanging over the genre. Do you think this verdict brings real closure, or does it open the door for more questions about that era?

Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Pool Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP