For nearly three decades, the killing of Tupac Shakur has remained one of hip-hop’s most enduring mysteries. The rapper was shot in a Las Vegas drive-by attack in September 1996 and died six days later at the age of 25. Now, almost 30 years after his death, the case is finally headed to trial.The man accused of helping orchestrate the killing, former gang leader Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis, is set to face trial in Las Vegas, which is expected to begin Monday, August 10. After nearly three decades of speculation, the case will finally move from conspiracy theories and public accounts into a courtroom, where prosecutors and the defence will present their competing versions of one of music history’s most infamous unsolved killings.Davis has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder. Prosecutors do not allege that he fired the fatal shots. Instead, they accuse him of organising the attack and supplying the weapon used in the shooting.What makes the case particularly unusual is that Davis himself spent years publicly discussing the events surrounding Shakur’s death. Later in interviews, a documentary and a 2019 memoir, authorities have said those comments helped revive an investigation that had remained dormant for years.What happened on the night Tupac was killed?According to the reports Tupac travelled to Las Vegas in September 1996 to watch boxer Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. And after the fight, a confrontation broke out involving members of Shakur’s entourage and Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, Davis’s nephew and a member of the South Side Compton Crips, according to The Washington PostTupac’s record label, Death Row Records, was associated with the Mob Piru gang, while Davis was described by police as a leader and “shot caller” of the South Side Compton Crips. These two Gangs from LA, the Mob Piru and Crips had a long history of rivalry. Authorities say the confrontation at the MGM Grand became a key part of what followed.Story continues below this adLater that night, Tupac was travelling in a black BMW 750IL driven by Marion ‘Suge’ Knight, former co-founder of Death Row Records. Davis was in a white Cadillac with three other men, including Anderson pulled up next to it, and Shakur was shot multiple times during the drive-by attack on September 7, 1996. He was taken to hospital but died six days later from his injuries according to ABC News. The killing quickly became intertwined with the violent East Coast-West Coast rivalry that dominated hip-hop at the time. Shakur was one of the most prominent artists associated with the West Coast, and his death fuelled years of speculation over who was responsible.Davis’s own account of the shootingDavis later provided his version of the events in interviews and in his memoir, Compton Street Legend, published in 2019.Also Read | Suspect in Tupac Shakur killing seeks to delay trial as defense identifies new witnessesIn the book, Davis wrote about the confrontation involving his nephew and described setting out to confront members of Shakur’s group. He said his associates were prepared for the possibility that the confrontation could turn violent.Story continues below this adDavis also wrote that he had placed a gun in the back seat of the Cadillac.According to Davis’s account, Shakur made what Davis described as an “erratic move” and appeared to draw a weapon. Davis wrote that a passenger in the back seat then grabbed a Glock and began firing. stated a report on The Washington Post.Davis has never identified the alleged shooter, citing what he called “the code of the streets”.Prosecutors, however, are expected to argue that Davis played a central role in organising the attack even if he was not the person who pulled the trigger.Story continues below this adAt a 2023 news conference announcing the charges, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson argued that a person who helps another commit a crime can be held equally responsible.How Davis’s comments revived a cold caseInvestigators had gathered information about the shooting soon after Shakur’s death, but authorities said they did not have enough evidence to bring charges.The case remained unresolved for decades.That changed as Davis began speaking publicly about the events.In 2018, he appeared in the BET documentary series Death Row Chronicles, where he discussed the events surrounding Shakur’s death. A year later, he published his memoir, Compton Street Legend, which contained further details about the night of the shooting.Story continues below this adLas Vegas police later said Davis’s public statements provided investigators with information they could use to revisit the case.By the time authorities arrested him in September 2023, the other two men believed to have been in the Cadillac, Deandrae “Freaky” Smith and Terry “Bubble Up” Brown had all died, even the person who was believed to pull the trigger Orlando ‘Baby Lane’ Anderson also died two years after Tupac’s death in a unrelated gang shootout, according to ABC News. Lt. Jason Johansson of the Las Vegas police said at the time that investigators believed this could be their “last time to take a run at this case”.Defence challenges Davis’s own wordsDavis’s memoir and previous statements are expected to play a significant role at trial, but his defence has challenged their reliability saying it was “involuntary”, according to The Washington Post. Story continues below this adHis lawyers have argued that the memoir was written to sell copies and that some of its claims were fictionalised. Davis has also distanced himself from portions of the book and pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, according to BBC. His defence previously sought to prevent prosecutors from using some of his statements, including a 2008 police interview that Davis described as involuntary.Davis wrote in his memoir that he had spoken because authorities promised he would not be prosecuted.The judge nevertheless ruled that the interview could be used at trial.Story continues below this adMore than 200 potential witnessesThe trial could feature a wide range of witnesses. Prosecutors have listed more than 200 potential witnesses in court documents, including investigators, former Death Row security personnel and members of Shakur’s family according to BBC. Among those listed are Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, and his stepbrother Maurice “Mopreme” Shakur, who was also a member of the hip-hop group Thug Life.Also Read | Tupac Shakur’s friends smoked his ashes: Suge Knight reveals chilling details of rapper’s last wishKnight, who was driving the BMW when Shakur was shot, is also among the potential witnesses. He is currently serving a prison sentence for an unrelated fatal hit-and-run case. Knight recently indicated that he would not cooperate with authorities. In an interview with ABC News, he said the trial had nothing to do with him and suggested that bringing him into the case could hurt those who did so.The defence has also indicated that it could call an expert on false confessions and coercive interrogation techniques.For years, theories surrounding Shakur’s murder ranged from gang retaliation to the broader East Coast-West Coast feud. Many of those theories remained unproven.Story continues below this adNow, the prosecution will attempt to establish in court what happened that night in Las Vegas and what role Davis played in it.Davis is the only person to have been arrested in connection with Shakur’s killing since the rapper’s death in 1996.