Michael Sanft, the attorney who defended Duane "Keffe D" Davis in the murder case of Tupac Shakur, was found dead in his Las Vegas home on Friday. Sanft, 55, died just days after filing an appeal for Davis.
Sanft's death was confirmed by a friend to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Authorities stated that his death does not appear suspicious, and the cause and manner of death are pending further investigation. No additional details have been released.
Davis was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of Shakur and sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on October 13. Shakur was fatally shot in a Las Vegas drive-by attack and died six days later.
Davis, 63, had been charged as the first person in connection with the murder. He had previously admitted to his involvement in Shakur's death, even claiming credit in his 2019 memoir. The shooting occurred hours after Davis' nephew, Orlando Anderson, was assaulted by Shakur at the MGM Grand casino.
Sanft, who represented Davis pro bono, expressed his commitment to his legal team's efforts after the verdict. "We had the best team possible in this case... I don’t see what I could’ve done differently," he told FOX5. He also shared that Davis had encouraged him after the conviction, reminding him that the trial was only "phase one."
Sanft is survived by his two children. Davis' nephew, Anderson, was killed in a separate shootout two years after Shakur's death.