Michael Sanft, the defense attorney who represented Duane “Keffe D” Davis in the murder case involving the death of Tupac Shakur, has died, according to reports.
Sources told FOX5 that Sanft was reported dead Thursday night in Las Vegas. Details surrounding his death have not been released, and authorities have not publicly confirmed the circumstances.
FOX5 said it contacted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Clark County Coroner’s Office seeking additional information but had not received a response.
Sanft was the lead trial attorney at SOS Injury Lawyers. According to his professional biography, he had tried more than 150 cases before juries and argued cases before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Sanft moved to San Diego when he was 12 and later attended BYU-Hawaii. He represented Davis without charging him during the high-profile Las Vegas murder trial.
Davis was accused of orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed Shakur. Prosecutors argued that Davis helped organize the attack and provided the weapon used in the killing.
A jury found Davis guilty in August. He was later sentenced to 40 years to life in prison—20 years to life for first-degree murder and an additional 20 years to life for a deadly-weapon enhancement.
Despite the conviction, Sanft continued to maintain that he had done everything possible to defend his client. In an interview with FOX5 after the verdict, he said the only thing that might have changed the outcome would have been having supernatural help during jury selection.
“Maybe if I had a psychic sitting next to me to help discern who should be on the jury,” Sanft said.
He also praised the defense team’s preparation and insisted that he could not identify a major mistake in the way the trial was handled.
“We had the best team possible in this case, from the motion practice work on this appeal to our investigator to our firm here at SOS Injury,” Sanft said. “We all did our part. I don’t see what I could’ve done differently.”
Following the verdict, Sanft described a private conversation with Davis. He said the two sat together and absorbed the outcome after the jury returned its decision.
“We were just sitting there taking in the moment,” Sanft said.
According to Sanft, Davis viewed the conviction as only the first step in a longer legal process.
“He had reminded me this is phase one,” Sanft recalled. “Because I was upset with the verdict, I was very disappointed in the jury. Mr. Davis was the one who said, don’t worry about it, man, this is the first phase, and I said, I understand, I hate to lose.”
Davis’ defense team said it planned to appeal the conviction. Court records show that a notice of appeal was filed Friday, October 30.
Shakur was shot four times while stopped at a red light in Paradise, Nevada, on September 7, 1996. He died from his injuries six days later at the age of 25.
Davis was the only person charged in connection with the killing. Prosecutors relied heavily on statements he had made over the years, including comments to law enforcement, media outlets, and in his memoir.
The defense argued that Davis’ statements did not amount to a confession and that prosecutors’ case was largely circumstantial. Sanft’s death comes as Davis’ legal team prepares to challenge the conviction in appellate court. It was not immediately clear who would take over representation of Davis or how Sanft’s death would affect the appeal.
The reports about Sanft’s death have not been independently confirmed by the police department or coroner’s office. Further information is expected once officials complete their review and notify his family.