News of August 18, 2026
Witness from the Death Row Circle: “I Don’t Want to Send You to Prison”
Crime-scene photos, casings, and a reluctant witness: A former Mob Piru member testifies in the Tupac trial, but does not want to hurt Duane 'Keffe D' Davis.
On August 18, 2026, the second day of evidence, jurors were shown photos of Tupac’s body and the casings found at the crime scene. Then James McDonald took the witness stand. The former Mob Piru member stated that he worked for Death Row Records. He said he did not like Duane “Keffe D” Davis, but addressed him directly: “I don’t want to send you to prison.”
McDonald Testifies Only Under Compulsion
McDonald insisted he had been forced to testify. He was not proud of his past and did not want to hurt Davis. According to the Review-Journal, he was the most vivid witness of the day: he described how a dispute between rival record companies dragged others in. Rolling Stone, by contrast, described his answers to the prosecution’s questions as evasive.
The Prosecution Sees the Gang Feud as the Motive
The prosecution sees the conflict between the Mob Piru, who were tied to Death Row, and the South Side Crips as the motive for the attack. How the jury weighed this testimony is not known.