The pressure on Diddy’s inner circle is building. Gene Deal, the mogul’s former bodyguard, says prosecutors in the Tupac Shakur murder trial want him to take the stand and tell jurors what he knows about Sean Combs’ alleged involvement in the 1996 killing. The claim adds another layer to a case that has already produced bombshell testimony linking Combs to a million-dollar bounty.
What Deal Revealed
Deal made the claim in a recent interview, saying authorities want him to speak specifically about Eric “Von Zip” Martin, a Harlem figure who allegedly served as the middleman between Diddy and defendant Duane “Keefe D” Davis. According to court documents and Davis’s own memoir, Combs allegedly paid one million dollars for the hit on Tupac, with the money flowing through Von Zip before reaching Davis and his nephew Orlando Anderson, who prosecutors say pulled the trigger.
Deal says he has direct knowledge of the relationship between Combs and Von Zip from his time working as the mogul’s personal security. His potential testimony could provide jurors with a firsthand account of how the alleged payment chain was structured.
His Reluctance
Deal has not testified despite being named as a potential witness. He has publicly questioned the investigation’s integrity, suggesting key evidence has been suppressed or lost over nearly three decades. His position creates an unusual dynamic where someone with alleged firsthand knowledge is pushing back against the very prosecutors who could use his testimony to build their case.
In previous interviews, Deal has said he believes the real story of what happened in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996 remains sealed and that only the people who were actually present that night know the full truth.
Where This Leaves Diddy
Combs has consistently denied any involvement in Tupac’s death. He is currently in federal custody on separate racketeering charges unrelated to the 1996 killing. Sources close to Combs told TMZ he “had absolutely nothing to do with the Tupac murder. He did not pull the trigger or set it up.”
The Keefe D trial wrapped its first week in Clark County, Nevada, with jurors hearing recorded interviews from Davis and witnessing a courtroom outburst directed at the prosecutor on Friday. Davis has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder with use of a deadly weapon. Testimony resumes Monday.
