Nearly three decades after Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in Las Vegas, the long-running mystery surrounding the rapper’s death has finally reached a courtroom.

The trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, began Monday in Clark County, Nevada. Davis is the only person ever charged in connection with Shakur’s 1996 murder and has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors told jurors that Davis was the alleged mastermind behind the shooting, even though he is not accused of pulling the trigger. They claim he organized the attack and provided the weapon after a violent confrontation earlier that night involving Shakur’s entourage and Davis’ nephew, Orlando Anderson.

According to prosecutors, the confrontation at the MGM Grand after a Mike Tyson boxing match sparked a revenge plot. Later that night, Shakur was riding in a BMW driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled alongside them and gunfire erupted.

Shakur was struck multiple times. The 25-year-old rapper died six days later, on September 13, 1996.

For years, the killing remained one of the most famous unsolved cases in music history. Many of the people believed to have knowledge of the shooting have since died, making the evidence against Davis particularly important to the prosecution.

One of the central elements of the case is Davis’ own words. Prosecutors are expected to rely on statements he made in interviews over the years as well as his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend. They argue that Davis repeatedly described his involvement in the events surrounding the shooting.

The defense, however, is challenging the reliability of those statements. Davis’ attorney argues that his client exaggerated stories about his past and that the prosecution lacks direct evidence proving Davis orchestrated the murder.

During the opening proceedings, prosecutors also played recordings of Davis discussing the events. Witness testimony has begun to focus on what happened before and immediately after the shooting, while evidence from the original investigation is being revisited nearly 30 years later.

The case has attracted enormous attention because Tupac remains one of hip-hop’s most influential figures. His death at just 25 years old became a defining moment in music history and fueled decades of speculation, theories and unanswered questions.

The trial is expected to last several weeks and could include testimony from people connected to the events of that night, potentially including Suge Knight, who was with Tupac when the shooting occurred.

For the first time, however, the question of who was responsible for Tupac Shakur’s killing is being placed directly before a jury.

Nearly 30 years after the gunshots that ended the rapper’s life, the courtroom will now have to decide whether the evidence against Duane Davis is enough to finally establish his role in one of the most notorious murders in music history.