In newly filed court papers, Davis’ lawyers say investigators exaggerated his background to convince a judge to approve a search warrant after dark — a step that is usually reserved for extreme situations, such as when police believe evidence could be destroyed before morning.
According to the defense, prosecutors painted Davis as a dangerous, active drug dealer. His attorneys argue that image was false and misleading. They say Davis left the drug trade back in 2008, later worked inspecting oil refineries, and at the time of the search was a 60-year-old retired cancer survivor living quietly with his wife in Henderson, Nevada.
“The court wasn’t told any of this,” Davis’ lawyers wrote. They claim the judge approved the nighttime search based on a version of Davis that “bore little resemblance to reality.”
The search was carried out by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which seized electronic devices, what officers described as “purported marijuana,” and tubs filled with photographs. At the time, police said conducting the search at night allowed officers to secure the home more safely and reduce risk to nearby residents if Davis attempted to barricade himself.
Police have declined to respond to the defense’s claims, citing the ongoing court case, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Davis was arrested in September 2023 and has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. Soon after his arrest, he asked to be released while awaiting trial.
His attorneys also argue that the case against him is built largely on his own past public statements — statements they now say were exaggerated or false. Davis has long claimed he was inside the white Cadillac from which shots were fired at Shakur. His lawyers say he has never provided solid details that prove he was actually there.
They argue Davis had reasons to place himself at the center of the story, including avoiding drug charges through a proffer agreement and making money from interviews, documentaries, and his 2019 book.
“Shakur’s murder became the entertainment world’s JFK assassination,” the lawyers wrote, saying the case has been endlessly analyzed, mythologized, and monetized — making it easy to see why someone might falsely claim a central role.
The judge has not yet ruled on whether the disputed evidence will be suppressed. If the motion is granted, it could deal a serious blow to the prosecution’s case as the decades-old mystery heads toward trial.
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