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William Lesane sat in a Las Vegas courtroom watching the man accused of orchestrating his cousin’s murder face the consequences of three decades of public bragging about his role in the crime.
The 62-year-old spoke with News 3 Las Vegas during jury selection for the trial of Duane “Keefe D” Davis, the former Compton Crips leader charged with murder with a deadly weapon with gang enhancement in Tupac’s 1996 death.
Prosecutors say the shooting was retaliation for a fight at the MGM Grand earlier that night where Tupac’s crew attacked Davis’s nephew.
Lesane’s presence at the trial represents something his family never thought they’d witness.
“I’m just happy that I can be here, that I’m not dead, I’m not in jail, healthy and of sound mind,” he said, describing the moment as a culmination of three decades carrying grief, anger, and unanswered questions. For years, conspiracy theories and public speculation treated Tupac’s death like just another statistic, even though he was one of Hip-Hop’s most influential voices.
Growing up, Tupac was obsessed with Bruce Lee and karate films.
Lesane recalled how his cousin would watch a movie and immediately try out his moves on everyone around him, convinced he’d mastered the technique.
His older sister, though, always beat him at his own game, no matter what new skill he thought he’d learned.
Beyond the childhood antics, Lesane described Tupac as funny, generous, courageous, and brave, someone who stood on principles even though he made mistakes as a young man.
What bothered Lesane most was watching Keefe D constantly appear on television discussing his involvement in the murder.
“He was admitting his role in my cousin’s murder, but it seemed like he was bragging about it, like he was proud of his role,” Lesane explained.
The weight of that disrespect felt like carrying a 500-pound gorilla on his back every time he heard Keefe D talk.
Lesane also appeared in 50 Cent’s Netflix documentary “The Reckoning” about Sean “Diddy” Combs, discussing the tensions between Tupac and Biggie Smalls that defined an era.
Now 63 years old, Keefe D faces life in prison without parole if convicted.
He’s pleaded not guilty to the charge, though prosecutors allege he ordered the killing and provided the gun used in the drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip.
Seeing Keefe D in the courtroom stirred complicated emotions in Lesane.
“I feel bad for him, more so for his family, his children and his wife,” he said, “but he dug that grave for himself.”
What Lesane hopes is that Keefe D uses this experience to help younger people avoid making the same mistakes.
Jury selection is expected to continue throughout the week as the trial proceeds.
