The Killing of Tupac Shakur Read online

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  Cathy Scott

  HUNTINGTON PRESS

  Las Vegas, Nevada

  The Killing of Tupac Shakur

  Published by:

  Huntington Press

  3665 South Procyon Avenue

  Las Vegas, NV 89103

  (702) 252-0655 Phone

  (702) 252-0675 Fax

  E-mail: [email protected]

  Copyright © 1997, 2002 Cathy Scott

  ISBN 978-1-935396-18-5

  Cover Photos: Corjuni/ Outline (front cover), Malcolm Payne (back cover), Aaron Mayes (author photo)

  Cover Design: Maile Austraw

  Production: Laurie Shaw

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may translated, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the copyright owner.

  First, to the memory of my grandmother, Esther Rose (1901-1990), a Carmel, California, artist with an intellect far too early for her time.

  Second, to the grieving mothers who have lost their sons to gangsta violence: My sincere sympathies to you all as you struggle to make sense of their deaths.

  And last, to the memory of Tupac Shakur: May he live on through his music, films, and legend.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Many people (and a loyal Siamese) stood by me as I finished this manuscript. To appropriate the words of Tupac Shakur, “You are appreciated.”

  First, to Anthony Curtis at Huntington Press and his staff, including Bethany Coffey Rihel and Len Cipkins, and particularly editor Deke Castleman, for believing that the killing of Tupac Shakur was a Las Vegas story that needed to be told and that I was the one to tell it, and for their incredible editing, focus, and dedication to the manuscript – you steered me and the words in the right directions and made it better.

  To the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, notably Lieutenant Wayne Petersen and detectives Brent Becker and Mike Franks, for their interviews, and especially, Sergeant Kevin Manning for putting up with my many questions and allowing me to flesh out the story.

  To Geoff Schumacher (formerly my boss at the Las Vegas Sun) for giving me time off to work on the manuscript, and to the Sun’s daytime copy desk – Rob Langrell, Linda Wrzesinski, and Sal DeFilippo – for their endless good humor and encouragement and to photographers Steve Marcus, Marsh Starks, and Aaron Mayes for their images.

  A special thanks to the Las Vegas Sun’s online department for its innovation in packaging the daily Tupac stories. I especially thank Jennifer Whitehair for her hard work.

  To my attorney Vickie Pynchon for her legal counseling and a lifetime of friendship that began in grade school where we had early aspirations in “Sisters of the Pen” of one day becoming writers.

  To Kevin Doty, Esquire, and Kent Lauer with the Nevada Press Association for their advice.

  To Frank Alexander, a fellow Tupac author and former bodyguard, for his time.

  To my sources, who, for obvious reasons, I won’t name. And to one in particular – you know who you are – a thank you from the heart for reading every word I write, for understanding the role of a journalist, and for being my friend.

  To my fellow newswomen and newsmen, allies and sterling journalists all: Kevin Powell for his sensitive description of the man, not just the rapper; Tonya Pendleton for her insights into the world of rap; Rachael Levy for forever being the devil’s advocate and making me a better reporter; Char-lene “Charlie” Fern for forcing style, style, style at my first daily paper; Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist John L. Smith for his confidence in my abilities; syndicated cartoonist Mike Smith for his steadfast support; Muriel Stevens for her sound literary advice; Myram Borders for her Las Vegas history; “Kayaking” Steve Waterstrat for his friendship; Teresa Hinds for listening and loaning me mystery writer Bill Moody – her then-fiance – so I could pick his brain; and the Sun’s executive editor, former Nevada Governor Mike O’Callaghan, for believing in me.

  To my family, most of whom were long-distance boosters: my son Raymond Somers Jr. for his never-failing encouragement and blessings; my mother, fellow writer Eileen Rose Busby, who taught me I could achieve whatever in life I chose; my father, James Melvin Scott, whose writing of his own book at 85 spurred me on to pen my own; my big brothers Jon Scott for his continued faith and J. Michael Scott for his scholarly and brotherly advice; my sister Sally Scott for passing on to me her love of literature; and my twin sister Cordelia Mendoza for always being there.

  To Tupac Amaru Shakur, may he rest in peace.

  And finally, my gratitude to a Grossmont College instructor whose name I no longer know and who is still unaware of the impact he had on a sophomore in his creative-writing class when he told her she had talent.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  PREFACE

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  1. THE KILLING OF TUPAC SHAKUR

  2. THE AFTERMATH

  3. THE SCUFFLE

  4. THE INVESTIGATION

  5. ABOUT TUPAC SHAKUR

  6. ABOUT THE MUSIC AND MOVIES

  PHOTO SPREAD

  7. NEW YORK SHOOTING

  8. ABOUT SUGE NIGHT

  9. THE MURDER OF YAFEU “KADAFI” FULA

  10. THE MURDER OF BIGGIE SMALLS

  11. MURDER IN COMPTON

  12. GANGSTA RAP AND HE RECORD INDUSTRY

  13. VIOLENCE IN RAP AND GANGS

  14. MOTIVES

  15. THE AUTOPSY

  16. DEAD OR ALIVE?

  17. EULOGY

  APPENDIX: Official Coroner’s Report

  PREFACE

  I’ve endeavored to uncover the truth surrounding the killing of Tupac Shakur. Perhaps no one will ever know for certain who pulled the trigger, although police have said they know who did it. What is known is this: The gunman has gotten away with murder.

  Not since John Lennon was cut down on the streets of New York City has a major entertainment figure been murdered at the pinnacle of his popularity. As in the Lennon killing, Shakur’s death resonated far beyond the world of musical entertainment. Unlike the Lennon killing, Tupac’s murder has yet to officially be solved.

  From the start, my goal has been to separate fact from fiction in the tremendously high-profile case. Much of the information I’ve gathered and presented here has never been published before. In some cases, I’ve identified errors previously reported and replaced them with the facts as I’ve learned them and know them to be true.

  This book is based on interviews, research, and observations that began the day Tupac was shot. I’ve gleaned information from a prodigious paper trail, including county, city, police, and legal documents and records. I’ve perused hundreds, if not thousands, of newspaper and magazine articles. In piecing together the events of September 7, 1996, and the continuing aftermath, I have diligently and painstakingly checked and rechecked the facts. I’m a police reporter by trade; it’s my job to get it right.

  I’ve interviewed more than 200 people about the case. More than 100 are cited. Some of my sources provided background information only and their names have not been includ
ed in the text. Although I’ve had many conversations with Shakur family members and their attorneys, agents, and assistants, Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, decided not to submit to an interview. Instead, I’ve included the few published comments she has made about Tupac’s death.

  The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, known as Metro, was forthcoming at times and less so at others. In the past, Las Vegas cops have been notoriously tight-lipped – all the way up the chain of command to the highest levels. Long-term former Sheriff John Moran (now deceased) consistently refused to talk to reporters; even when he retired in December 1994, Moran declined to give a final interview, standing his ground and closing his door to the press one last time. It’s a Las Vegas tradition to snub reporters.

  That attitude carried over into the administration of Sheriff Jerry Keller, who was at the helm of the department when Tupac was murdered. Although Keller did talk to the media, he often became openly indignant and critical of reporters when the questions got too tough.

  And although homicide detectives and others close to the Tupac Shakur case were understandably reluctant at times to discuss certain aspects of it, they eventually provided enough details to allow me to construct an accurate portrayal of the events surrounding the criminal investigation.

  LVMPD officers, however, drew the line when it came to speaking with out-of-town reporters, purposely fielding only questions from local newsmen and women, whom they knew. As a result, the Las Vegas Sun’s newsroom, where I worked at the time, received calls from dozens of reporters from all over the world who had been stonewalled by Las Vegas police.

  When a major story breaks in a newspaper’s hometown, local reporters and editors often shine in the national spotlight. The world was watching the Tupac Shakur case unfold daily; the Las Vegas Sun was ahead of the curve each day, beating the competition in its quest to break the news. After all, this was our town and our story. We weren’t about to let the national papers gobble it up and take it away from us. During the first week of coverage, the Sun assigned three reporters to the story, but the shooting investigation was all mine.

  My pursuit of this story turned up a fascinating and convoluted sequence of events surrounding not just the shooting, but Tupac himself and the world in which he lived. I piece them together for you here, in the pages that follow.

  This book is an accounting of the events. The language is raw and the drama could have come straight from the wildest movie. It didn’t. This is not fiction. The players in these pages are real. This is a true, violent, and sad story of an unsolved crime, based on the facts. It is the story of the killing of Tupac Shakur.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Since the September 1997 release of The Killing of Tupac Shakur, I have received thousands of e-mails, letters, and telephone calls from fans of Tupac asking for more information about his murder.

  Much has been learned since the first release of The Killing of Tupac Shakur, which is the reason for this updated and expanded edition. This new version is an attempt to further flesh out the facts surrounding Tupac’s slaying. Included in this second edition are the events in more detail with fresh interviews. Hopefully, when you finish reading it, you will be more informed and more enlightened.

  Thanks to you all for your cards, e-mails, letters, and phone calls. While I may not always openly express it, I greatly appreciate your feedback. I also try to keep readers informed on my website at http://www.cathyscott.com/.

  1

  THE KILLING OF TUPAC SHAKUR

  The freeways crisscross Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, like a cosmic X in the heart of the Mohave Desert. Highway 95 connects Las Vegas to Reno in the north and Phoenix in the south. But the major artery in and out of the Vegas valley is Interstate 15; to the southwest is Los Angeles, to the northeast Salt Lake City. I-15 is widely believed to be the get-away route used by murderers the night Tupac Shakur was cut down in cold blood.

  Saturday, September 7, 1996, wasn’t just any night in Las Vegas. It was the evening of the championship boxing match between heavyweights Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon. The town was packed with fight fans, including wall-to-wall celebrities. Las Vegas nears peak capacity almost every weekend of the year, but this fight, a premier event, had sold out all the hotel and motel rooms in the region and gridlocked the Las Vegas Strip.

  It would end up being a deadly fight night.

  Vegas is famous for its boxing events, which have been magnets for high-spending action ever since Sonny Liston’s 1963 first-round knock-out of Floyd Patterson. Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, and a long list of great fighters have turned Las Vegas into a world-class mecca for boxing. Heavyweight bouts traditionally surround Las Vegas with an electrifying aura that rarely materializes during other events. Fights can gross more than $100 million, especially when Tyson’s name is on the ticket.

  On this particular night, Mike Tyson was expected to win back the heavyweight championship he’d lost six years earlier to Buster Douglas in Tokyo. High rollers eagerly flocked to the desert at the invitation of the casinos to attend the fight as an opening act to a weekend of gambling and partying. The night was ripe. A high level of expectation and excitement was in the air.

  “Nothing brings customers to Las Vegas like major heavyweight boxing, and Mike Tyson is the biggest draw in boxing, so it’s a big special event for this town,” explained Bill Doak, marketing director for the MGM Grand, where the fight was being held.

  Rob Powers, spokesman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, echoed those sentiments: “The [media] exposure Las Vegas will get will be incalculable.”

  Little did he know just how true those words would be.

  Everything at the MGM Grand that night spelled H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D, from its upscale stores and gourmet restaurants to the red-carpeted Studio Walk leading to the Garden Arena where two fights – one a boxing match, the other a brawl – would take place that night.

  Tupac (pronounced “TOO-pock”) Shakur, one of the most notorious emcees on the rap music scene, was among the many celebrities who assembled at the MGM Grand for the heavyweight bout. Six months earlier, Tupac and fellow gangsta rap artist Snoop Dogg had attended the Mike Tyson-Frank Bruno fight at Caesars Palace.

  In town for the Tyson-Seldon match-up, besides Tupac Shakur, were the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Jr., an avid fight fan and a familiar face on the Las Vegas Strip on fight weekends, as well as rapper MC Hammer, television star Roseanne, basketball player Gary Payton, hip hop’s Too Short, and rapper Run DMC.

  They, along with 16,000 spectators in the arena and millions more sitting glued to the pay-per-view cable channel, watched as Tyson dismantled Seldon in exactly 109 seconds. The spectators barely had time to settle into their seats before they found themselves getting up again and filing out of the arena. Afterward, some spectators remained in the stands for a few minutes, booing the boxers. Fans dubbed it the “Gyp on the Strip.” It marked Tyson’s fourth comeback victory.

  Tupac had taken in the fight with Marion Knight, known as “Suge” (pronounced “Shoog,” short for his childhood nickname of “Sugar Bear”). Suge had co-founded and owned Death Row Records, Tupac’s recording label. They sat ringside in $1,000 seats – some of the best seats in the house – with Tupac sitting in section 4, row E, seat 2. In the margin at the top of the stub was handwritten “Tupac.” Even though Death Row had earlier purchased 12 tickets, which included seats for the record label’s bodyguards, only four tickets were used by Suge’s crew that night: one each for Tupac, Suge, bodyguard Frank Alexander, and a friend of Suge’s.

  Sitting near Tupac were other celebrities, including actors Charlie Sheen and Louis Gossett Jr., former star baseball player Reggie Jackson, and Reverend Jackson.

  It was later rumored that Tupac and Suge had gotten into an argument, as they went to take their seats, with several people who had been sitting in the seats reserved for Death Row. But witnesses and security officers at
the fight have said that no such argument took place.

  The song that played over the public address system during Tyson’s walk from backstage into the ring was written by Tupac especially for Tyson. It was titled “Wrote The Glory” and, as of 2002, was still one of Tupac’s unreleased songs. Another song, “Ambitionz Az A Ridah” from Tupac’s All Eyes On Me album, was also written for Tyson. At the beginning of the song, Tupac says, “Yeah, I dedicate this to my nigga Mike Tyson. It’s all good.” Tupac was filled with pride as his good friend Mike walked into the ring and his own lyrics pounded the arena. (Before he was banned from boxing in the U.S. for a year in 1999, Tyson for the second time used Tupac’s “Wrote The Glory” as a fight song.)

  After the fight, Tupac and Suge, along with members of their entourage, were making their way through the casino toward the entrance of the hotel when they got into a scuffle with a then-unidentified black man whom police would later learn was 21-year-old Orlando Anderson of Compton, California. This fight-outside-the-fight became enormously significant in light of the events that followed.

  Tupac, according to the Compton Police Department’s account, looked at Orlando and said, “You from the south?” Then Tupac lunged at Orlando, dropping him. Others in Tupac’s group joined in. Once they had Orlando down on the ground, they kicked and stomped on him. A few minutes later, hotel security guards broke up the tussle.

  Bodyguard Frank Alexander said he, too, helped break it up by shoving Tupac against a wall.

  “Orlando Anderson was just standing there [in the hotel],” Frank told me in a telephone interview. He said Orlando was standing near a hotel security guard.