Davis, 63, was convicted in August of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon. He is the only person ever charged in the death of Shakur, who was gunned down off the Las Vegas Strip on September 7, 1996, at age 25.
Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo said Tuesday that whatever sentence the court imposed, Davis was 'guaranteed to die' behind bars. DiGiacomo argued that Davis spent years 'publicly grandstanding' and bragging about his role, trying to profit from the killing through his 2019 memoir.
The killing went unsolved for years until Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, gave interviews and published his role in the shooting. Prosecutors said Davis provided the gun used in the drive-by shooting, though he did not fire the fatal shots.
Shakur's sister, Sekyiwa 'Set' Shakur, addressed the court before sentencing, describing her brother as a protector and father figure. 'The loss of Tupac for a long time crippled my entire family emotionally and mentally,' she said. She asked the judge for the maximum sentence, telling Davis he would sit in prison and 'contemplate what you've done to the world, not just to me.'
Shakur's brother Maurice Shakur also asked for the longest possible sentence. Davis was asked by Judge Kierny if he had anything to say, to which he replied: 'I'm good. I'm gonna appeal this case for sure.'
Davis was arrested in September 2023 and has remained in custody. His lawyers argued he fabricated accounts of his involvement and that insufficient evidence placed him at the scene. Prosecutors countered that his repeated public accounts were supported by other evidence at trial.