Photo credit: X/FOX 9
Michael Sanft, the Las Vegas attorney who represented Duane “Keffe D” Davis in the trial over Tupac Shakur’s 1996 killing, has died at 55.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office confirmed Sanft’s death on Nov. 6. His cause and manner of death remain pending. Authorities have released no further details about the circumstances.
For fans who have followed the Tupac case for decades, Sanft became a familiar face during one of the most closely watched legal chapters in the rapper’s story.
Sanft’s role in the Tupac case
Sanft served as Davis’ lead trial attorney during the 2026 proceedings in Las Vegas. Davis was convicted in August and later received a sentence of 40 years to life.
Sanft had taken the case without charging Davis a legal fee. During the trial, he challenged the prosecution’s case and questioned the strength of the investigation.
The attorney continued to defend his work after the verdict. He also said he planned to challenge the conviction.
That appeal was already moving forward. Court records cited by FOX5 show that a notice of appeal was filed Oct. 30, less than two weeks before Sanft’s death.
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What happens to Davis’ appeal now
Sanft’s death does not automatically end Davis‘ appeal.
However, the public record does not yet identify who will handle the case next. It is also unclear whether the court will make any changes to the appeal schedule.
That leaves an important question for the next stage of the case. Davis has already filed the notice needed to begin the appeal process, but the legal team responsible for presenting the arguments has not been publicly identified in the reports reviewed.
Readers following the case should therefore rely on court records and official updates rather than social media speculation about Sanft’s death or the appeal.
Who was Michael Sanft
Sanft built a long career as a Nevada trial lawyer. His firm biography says he grew up in Tonga before moving to San Diego at age 12. He later attended BYU-Hawaii and earned his law degree from Brigham Young University.
He joined the Nevada bar in 2002 and tried more than 150 cases to jury verdict, according to his professional biography and local reporting. He also represented former Las Vegas official Michele Fiore in a federal case.
His career reached a national audience through the Tupac case. The trial placed him in front of cameras as he defended Davis during a proceeding that drew attention from hip-hop fans, legal observers and longtime followers of Shakur’s story.
A case that remains unfinished
Sanft’s death comes at a significant point in the Davis case. The conviction has already moved into the appeal stage, but the next steps are still developing.
Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding Sanft’s death remain private and unresolved. The coroner has not released a cause or manner of death.
For readers who have followed Tupac’s legacy, the latest development is therefore about more than another headline from a decades-old case. It marks a change in the legal team surrounding one of hip-hop’s most closely watched court battles.
The next major update will likely come from the court as Davis’s appeal moves forward.
SOURCE: TMZ
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