Tupac Shakur autopsy photos shown at Las Vegas murder trial after some family members leave court
Tupac Shakur Autopsy Photos Shown at Trial
Wertynews.com – On day two of the Las Vegas murder trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis, prosecutors placed the Tupac Shakur autopsy photos shown from the rapper's 1996 examination directly before the jury. Davis, 63, stands accused of orchestrating the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur. The nearly packed courtroom fell silent as jurors viewed images of a swollen body marked by multiple chest wounds.
Before the medical examiner took the stand, several of Shakur's relatives chose to step outside. One woman rose and walked away the instant the photographs appeared on screen. Those who remained watched with fixed attention, some turning their gaze aside.
Forensic Testimony and the Injury Sequence
Dr. Lisa Gavin, a forensic pathologist and Clark County, Nevada medical examiner, was among the first witnesses called. She did not perform the original autopsy — the examiner who did has since died — so she was retained as an expert to interpret the findings. Gavin guided the jury through the wound sequence, beginning with a photograph of a green body bag before revealing the full image of Shakur's torso.
Gavin explained that three bullets struck the rapper. One traversed his chest and pierced a lung, causing collapse and hemorrhage; surgeons removed the damaged organ in a desperate bid to keep him alive. The remaining rounds tore through his intestines and other regions. One photograph captured his tattoos alongside chest tubes still embedded in his torso — remnants of the six days he spent hospitalized before dying. Notably, these images were withheld from the trial's public video feed.
Throughout the explanation, Davis sat motionless, eyes locked on the screen. He occasionally leaned to whisper in his attorney's ear.
Family Grief After Three Decades
Zayd Akinyela, Shakur's cousin, deliberately stayed in the courtroom. Speaking to The Associated Press afterward, he explained his reasoning:
"I feel like the details, especially for people that are close to him, honestly for me helps, helps the grief process. I think we've been waiting 30 years to grieve properly."
Akinyela added that he wanted personal closure and noted he had not known the exact number of times his cousin was shot before hearing the testimony. Describing his emotional response, he said:
"Very angry, very angry, to say the least, very sad."
He also offered a spiritual perspective, explaining that seeing the body did not affect him the way it might others, and that he believes Shakur's spirit lives on through his family and legacy. Family members who had stepped out returned for subsequent witnesses.
Surveillance Footage and Case Context
Prosecutors allege the shooting was retaliation for an earlier assault. Hours before Shakur's death, his entourage attacked Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson — Davis' nephew — inside the MGM Grand following a Mike Tyson fight. Jurors viewed the casino's surveillance recording of that altercation: a panning camera captured a group beating and kicking a figure on the ground, then tracked Shakur and his companions moving swiftly through the crowded lobby. Security and police arrived to speak with Anderson, who was wearing a number 13 Dan Marino Miami Dolphins jersey.
A few hours later, Shakur rode in a black BMW alongside hip-hop mogul Marion "Suge" Knight when shots erupted from a white Cadillac carrying Davis, Anderson, and two other men. Davis himself is not charged with pulling the trigger.
Knight has indicated he does not wish to be called as a witness, a development that complicates the prosecution's case. CBS News legal contributor Caroline Polisi noted the dilemma: "It puts the prosecution in a really difficult position because it sounds like he's not going to be helpful for their case, and yet jurors are going to want to hear from the only living witness."
If convicted of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang, Davis could receive a life sentence. He has pleaded not guilty. In the defense opening, his attorney Michael Sanft dismissed the prosecution's narrative as "fiction" and told jurors that law enforcement had known all along that Davis was, in his words, a scapegoat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where were the Tupac Shakur autopsy photos shown? They were presented to the jury in the Las Vegas courtroom during day two of Duane "Keffe D" Davis's murder trial, as part of Dr. Lisa Gavin's forensic testimony.
Why was Dr. Lisa Gavin called instead of the original examiner? The medical examiner who performed the 1996 autopsy has since passed away, so Gavin was retained as an expert to interpret the findings for the jury.
Were the autopsy images broadcast publicly? No. The photographs were withheld from the trial's public video feed and were visible only to jurors and those present in the courtroom.
What charge faces Davis, and what is the maximum penalty? He is charged with murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang. A conviction carries a potential life sentence.