The fact that Tupac Shakur has died will be one of the first pieces of evidence presented in the murder trial of self-confessed gangster Keefe D - to debunk conspiracy theories, The U.S. Sun can reveal.
Prosecutors will start their case against Keefe, who has confessed multiple times to being part of the gang that killed the star, by presenting proof that Shakur perished after suffering critical wounds from the drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996.
For 27 years speculation has run rife that ‘Pac remains alive, despite the compelling police and medical evidence.
There have been multiple sightings of the Ghetto Gospel star and allegations that his friends and police officers enabled his escape from the USA.
The Chief Deputy District Attorneys Marc DiGiacomo and Binu Palal will debunk any suggestion that the music icon escaped the assassination or faked his death in their case presentation opening.
Jurors will even be shown photos of unclothed Shakur’s deceased corpse on a mortuary table, up close photos of his injuries, and medical reports following his autopsy on September 13, 1996.
Images show the icon’s torso with lengthy stitching scars around his chest and abdomen, where specialists frantically attempted to revive him at UMC hospital.
Insiders say the Clark County DA’s office “have to take that step” to confirm Tupac's gruesome death. Keefe D, aka Duane Davis, plans to plead not guilty and fight against the murder charge in a trial next year.
The DAs already took that step to confirm Tupac's death during their brief presentation of the case against Keefe D at the Las Vegas Grand Jury hearing in August.
In an unusual court move, they asked Tupac's lifelong friend and fellow rapper Malcolm Greenidge to confirm his friend has not spoken to him since his killing.
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A Las Vegas legal source said: “This case will start with the prosecutors serving up proof that Tupac is dead. Obviously, that is a key fact for the case, but will once and for all will end any suggestions of Tupac faking his death or being smuggled abroad.
“One of Tupac’s close friends Malcolm was asked to clarify that at the Grand Jury hearing and will likely be asked to do the same. Other members of Tupac’s inner circle who are witnesses are sure to be asked the same question.
“Certainly the jury will be shown disturbing photos of Tupac after his autopsy so that the cause of his death can be explained by medical experts with the use of those images.
“There is no doubt that he is deceased and the efforts surgeons and trauma specialists made to revive him after the bullet wounds entered his chest and abdomen. That will all be backed up by emergency room reports and the full autopsy papers.”
The U.S. Sun can today publish segments from the Grand Jury hearing on the questioning of Tupac's lifelong friend and Outlawz rapper Greenidge, known as E.D.I Mean.
During his testimony, Greenidge admitted that Tupac was his “mentor”. He was quizzed at length by the DAs about their friendship, final hours, and his death.
On closing, he was asked: “This is going to be kind of a silly question and I apologize for it. Since that day have you ever heard from Mr. Shakur?”
Greenidge, also known as rap star E.D.I Mean, affirmed: “I have not.”
Conspiracists have continued a narrative that Pac is alive, fuelled by statements from the artist’s associates and even fake sightings worldwide.
In the early 2000s, a blog Holla Back Exclusive uploaded a video online alleging Shakur was in Cuba. Nine years later, TMZ posted photos of a man looking like the star at a New Orleans bar.
The son of Suge Knight, Suge Knight Jr., claimed Tupac was alive making new music in Malaysia in 2015, before repeating the claims many times.
He retracted his claims and deleted the posts a couple of years ago.
In 2018, Las Vegas Metro Police Officer Chris Carroll told The U.S The Sun that he saw Tupac take his last breath after the shooting - and was fed up with claims he’d help smuggle the star out of the US.
Ex-Vegas Metro cop Chris revealed Tupac’s final words were "F*** off” as he asked about the shooters, dying in his arms.
Protection consultant Chris said: "He is absolutely positively dead.
“I know he means a lot to people, but the guy is gone and is never coming back.
“Just to clarify when I say gone - I don’t mean gone abroad - in case conspiracy theorists misconstrue that line. I mean he is dead.
“He had multiple gunshot wounds on his body. There were large caliber wounds to his torso and vital organs. While I was holding him he stopped breathing, and he never regained consciousness.
“The possibility of him regaining his life is almost impossible. One of my colleagues, who rode with him in the ambulance to the hospital, confirmed that for all practical purposes thought he was dead when he arrived there
“Technically he did not officially pass until later, but that was only due to the skill of the trauma team who kept his heart beating and then life support machines.”
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Chris added: “It is crazy that this theory continues. People cannot accept that he has passed and it gives them hope when his stories come up that he is still alive.”
Keefe D plans to plead not guilty to the murder at his November 2 arraignment in Las Vegas on November 2, his acting attorney Ross Goodman confirmed.