Sean "Diddy" Combs has been named in newly surfaced court documents alleging his involvement in the 1996 murder of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur. The claims, detailed in a transcript from a 2009 secretly recorded police interview with Duane "Keefe D" Davis, have added a shocking twist to the decades-long mystery surrounding Tupac's death.
According to the documents filed by Las Vegas prosecutors, Keefe accused Diddy of offering "millions" to orchestrate the murder of Tupac and Death Row Records boss Suge Knight. "I'll give anything for that dude's head," Diddy allegedly said in reference to Knight. The rapper, then known as Puffy, was reportedly enraged by Tupac's diss track Hit 'Em Up, released in June 1996, which took aim at Diddy and his associates.
The transcript further alleges that Diddy expressed his disdain for both Tupac and Knight during a gathering attended by approximately 45 people. Keefe recounted that Diddy's animosity stemmed from fears over Knight's growing power and influence.
The allegations have surfaced amid Keefe's ongoing murder trial for his role in Tupac's killing. Prosecutors claim that Keefe has "confessed to being involved in Shakur's murder in nearly every forum imaginable," including interviews and his memoir.
Keefe's testimony also suggests that the payment for the murder was to be funneled through Eric "Zip" Martin, an associate who allegedly provided the weapon used in the shooting. However, Keefe said the promised money never reached him, claiming Zip kept the bounty for himself.
Prosecutors presented the 143-page transcript of the 2009 police interview as critical evidence to support their case against Keefe. When asked directly by investigators about Diddy's role, Keefe reportedly confirmed it with a simple "Yeah."
The court filing alleges that Diddy avoided direct interaction with Keefe after the shooting. In the transcript, Keefe described a tense encounter with Diddy at the Hollywood House of Blues, where Diddy appeared "scared" and "paranoid." "So he asked us did we have some weed and stuff. But that mother-f**ker he never took his eyes off of us though at all," Keefe said.
Despite these claims, Diddy has consistently denied any involvement in Tupac's murder, dismissing the allegations as "completely ridiculous" and "pure fiction." Diddy's representatives have not commented on the latest court filing.
The murder of Tupac Shakur on September 13, 1996, has remained one of the most infamous unsolved cases in music history. The 25-year-old rapper was fatally shot in Las Vegas while sitting in a car with Suge Knight. Knight survived the attack, but Tupac succumbed to his injuries six days later.
While Diddy has not been charged in connection with Tupac's death, the allegations have cast a shadow over his legacy. The music mogul is currently facing unrelated federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Keefe's defense team has dismissed the allegations against Diddy as fabrications, arguing that their client lied to gain fame and financial leverage.
With Keefe's trial set for March, prosecutors have hinted that both Diddy and Suge Knight could be called as witnesses. "Both Suge Knight and Sean 'Puffy' Combs are not unavailable, although they do face their own legal problems," prosecutors noted in court filings.
