Yaki Kadafi
Real Name: Yafeu Akiyele Fula
Nicknames: Yaki Kadafi
Location: Orange, New Jersey
Date: November 10, 1996
Case[]
Details: Yafeu Fula is a founding member of the rap group The Outlawz and God Brother to Tupac Shakur. Tupac was gunned down at an intersection in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996. Despite hundreds of witnesses, Yafeu was the only one that initially came forward, claiming that he could identify the gunman from a photo line-up. However, police sent him home after they interviewed him for a short time. One week later, he returned to his home in New Jersey.
Two months later, on November 10, 1996, Yafeu was shot to death in a stairwell of a housing project in Orange. Many believed this was an effort to silence him because of his knowledge of Tupac's murder.
Suspects: Two suspects, both juveniles, were arrested in the case. Police did not believe that the murder was related to Tupac's death. However, some suspect that the cases were related.
Extra Notes: This segment originally ran on the March 14, 1997 episode, which focused mainly on Tupac's murder.
Results: Solved. It was later determined that Yafeu had been accidentally shot by Roddy Beale, the cousin of Mutah "Napoleon" Beale, Yafeu's childhood friend. Roddy served seven years in prison for the murder. Police do not believe that the murder was related to Tupac's case. Yafeu's mother later stated that her son's death was not an accident and that Roddy had intentionally killed him.
Links:
- Yafeu Fula on Wikipedia
- Shakur shooting witness found dead in N.J.
- Member of Tupac Shakur's group found dead
- Shakur murder witness found dead
- Possible witness in Shakur slaying shot dead
- 2 say they saw attackers of slain rapper
- Who killed Kadafi?
- Kadafi's Mom Responds to Outlawz' VladTV Interview on Her Son's Death
- Yafeu Fula on Find-a-Grave