The man charged with the murder of Tupac Shakur pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Thursday (Nov.2), the New York Times reports.

Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis, a former leader of the Southside Crips gang and the last surviving witness of the Sept. 7, 1996, drive-by shooting that killed Shakur, was represented at the hearing by Robert Arroyo and Charles Cano, two public defenders.

Ross Goodman, a high-profile attorney who was in negotiations to lead the case, announced he would not be a part of Davis’ legal defense.

“There are people who are trying to get the financial resources together to hire me,” Goodman said.

In October, Goodman argued that the prosecution lacked evidence to convict Davis when he spoke on his behalf.

“There’s no gun, there’s no car and there’s no witnesses from 27 years ago,” Goodman said at the time.

Davis was arrested on Sept. 29 at his home in Henderson, a suburb of Las Vegas, from a search warrant executed by law enforcement officials on July 17, nearly 27 years after Shakur’s death.

The indictment accused Davis of orchestrating the plot and providing the gun used to kill Shakur and wound ex-Death Row CEO Marion “Suge” Knight at an intersection just off the Las Vegas Strip following a brawl at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino between Shakur and Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson. Shakur died on Sept. 13, 1996.

Davis made his appearance in court on Oct. 4 but the proceedings were delayed for two weeks because he didn’t have a lawyer present.

Prosecutors accuse Davis of implicating himself in Shakur’s murder in his book, “Compton Street Legend,” where he reportedly confessed to handing the gun to the shooter who killed the rapper.

“Tupac made an erratic move and began to reach down beneath his seat,” Davis wrote. “It was the first and only time in my life that I could relate to the police command, ‘Keep your hands where I can see them.’ Instead, Pac pulled out a strap, and that’s when the fireworks started. One of my guys from the back seat grabbed the Glock and started bustin’ back.”

According to the Los Angeles Times, Anderson, who was killed in 1998, was not identified as the shooter by Davis.

Davis is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas.