Keefe D’s 2019 book detailing his alleged involvement in Tupac Shakur’s murder is set to play a key role in the upcoming trial.
On Tuesday (Aug. 11), a new report from News Nation confirmed prosecutors are expected to rely heavily on Compton Street Legend. The memoir finds Keefe discussing the events surrounding the 1996 shooting, including his claim that Pac reached for a weapon before gunfire erupted from the car he was riding in. Cops have said no weapon was found in the vehicle Tupac and Suge Knight were in.
Keefe D’s defense previously argued that the book should be excluded from the trial, claiming it was fictionalized for profit and questioning which portions were actually written by him because it was co-authored. He’s even gone so far as to say he has no idea what’s in the book because he’s never read it and the co-author just took his story and ran with it.
Judge Carli Kierny ultimately ruled that the statements could be used, finding that Keefe D had adopted the material as his own. The judge pointed to his repeated characterization of the book as the “real truth.”
The memoir also contains his account of the altercation between Tupac and Orlando Anderson earlier that night, which prosecutors have identified as the catalyst for the killing.
Keefe D has previously acknowledged being in the car that pulled alongside Tupac and Suge at a Las Vegas intersection before the shooting. Tupac died six days later at age 25.
The trial is currently underway as jury selection began on Monday (Aug. 10). Keefe D appeared in court as Nevada Judge Carli Kierny questioned a pool of 75 prospective jurors about potential conflicts, medical issues and language barriers that could prevent them from serving. Pac’s family members and fans also gathered outside the courthouse
The trial is expected to last about a month. Keefe D is facing life in prison if found guilty.
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