Tupac trial witness tells accused: 'I don't want to send you to prison'
On day two of the Tupac trial in Las Vegas, James "Mob James" McDonald—a former Death Row Records associate—refused to name who killed Tupac Shakur, telling defendant Duane "Keffe D" Davis: "I don't want to send you to prison." Summoned under threat of contempt, McDonald demanded hostile-witness treatment while still describing the gang retaliation that followed Shakur's 1996 shooting.
Key Takeaways
- James McDonald testified under court order on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, during day two of Duane "Keffe D" Davis's murder trial.
- McDonald told Davis he did not want to send him to prison, even though the two dislike each other, and refused many defense questions.
- Prosecutors allege Davis orchestrated Shakur's drive-by killing after his nephew Orlando Anderson fought with the rapper hours earlier.
- Reggie Wright Jr., former Death Row security head, denied Davis's claim that Wright planned the murder.
- Graphic autopsy photos were shown early in the day; some Shakur family members left the courtroom.
What happened on day two of the Tupac trial?
The murder trial over Tupac Shakur's 1996 killing resumed Tuesday in Las Vegas, 30 years after the rapper died at age 25. Duane "Keffe D" Davis, a former South Side Compton Crips leader, is charged with murder and has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors say Davis planned the September 7 shooting after his nephew Orlando Anderson was involved in a fight with Shakur following a Mike Tyson boxing match. Investigators allege Davis obtained the weapon and was in the vehicle from which shots were fired.
The day opened with graphic autopsy photos. Shakur's sister Sekyiwa and stepbrother Mopreme left before that testimony; family friend Tuere Burns walked out after covering her eyes.
Why did McDonald refuse to answer questions?
McDonald, a former Mob Piru Bloods member who ran security at Suge Knight's Club 662 the night of the shooting, said he did not volunteer to testify. He told the court he faced contempt if he refused.
When defense attorney Michael Sanft pressed him to identify who was responsible, McDonald pointed at Davis and said the questions "wouldn't be good for him." He told Sanft: "I'm not finna send him to prison. You are!"
McDonald said entourage members quickly communicated who was responsible, even though he was not present at the shooting. He described a gang war in which Davis and Anderson became targets. After testimony, he apologized to Sanft in the courthouse lobby.
What did Reggie Wright Jr. tell the jury?
Reggie Wright Jr., who headed Death Row security and later became general manager in 1997, testified from an electric scooter due to Long Covid. Davis had suggested in a jailhouse interview that Wright orchestrated the killing; Wright denied any involvement.
Wright said he assigned a second security guard to Shakur after the diss track "Hit 'Em Up," which targeted Sean "Puffy" Combs's Bad Boy Records. That guard called out on the night Shakur was shot. Notorious B.I.G. was killed in an unsolved Los Angeles drive-by six months later.
McDonald said the Death Row–Bad Boy rivalry rekindled tensions between Crips and Bloods. For more on high-profile cases like this, see our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries coverage.
Why does this testimony matter 30 years later?
Shakur's murder went largely cold until Davis made public statements and co-authored a memoir claiming he supplied the gun used in the killing. He has since distanced himself from parts of the book.
McDonald told reporters Davis was "paying for" talking too much. The trial is expected to continue Wednesday, as prosecutors seek to resolve one of America's most famous unsolved murders. Full coverage is available from the BBC.