World · North America · 29 mins ago
Lawyer for Tupac Shakur’s convicted killer found dead in Las Vegas
Michael Sanft, the lawyer for Duane “Keffe D” Davis, was found dead in Las Vegas, according to the account.
His cause of death has not been announced.
Davis was convicted of Tupac Shakur’s murder in August and sentenced in October to 40 years to life in prison.
Shakur was shot in Las Vegas in 1996 and died six days later, aged 25.
The case went decades without anyone being brought to trial, until Davis was arrested in 2023.
Prosecutors said Davis organised the attack and provided the gun, but did not claim he fired the shots.
Davis and Sanft planned to challenge the conviction, but Sanft’s death leaves the next steps unclear.
Michael Sanft, the lawyer who represented Duane “Keffe D” Davis in the Tupac Shakur murder case, has died in Las Vegas at 54.
Sanft reportedly died on Thursday night, and Bild reported that friends found him dead.
The cause of death has not been confirmed.
Davis was convicted of his role in Shakur’s killing and sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Sanft had represented Davis pro bono and said after the trial that he had no regrets about his work.
- Who
- Michael Sanft, the lawyer who represented Duane “Keffe D” Davis.
- What
- Sanft has died. The cause of death has not been confirmed.
- When
- He reportedly died on Thursday night; the date was not stated.
- Where
- Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Why
- Not stated.
Prosecutors
Davis’s defense
Alleged role
Prosecutors
Prosecutors argued Davis organized the fatal attack and provided the gun.
Davis’s defense
The defense argued that Davis’s earlier accounts of the killing were not genuine confessions.
Who fired
Prosecutors
The prosecution did not allege that Davis personally shot Shakur.
Davis’s defense
Not stated.
Tupac Shakur was shot in Las Vegas after a boxing match.
Police arrested Duane “Keffe D” Davis.
Davis was found guilty of murder.
Davis was sentenced to 40 years in prison, according to Billboard; Bild reported a sentence of 40 years to life.
Sanft reportedly died in Las Vegas.
- Age
- 54
- Location
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Client
- Duane “Keffe D” Davis
- Davis’s sentence
- 40 years in prison, according to Billboard; 40 years to life, according to Bild
- Sanft’s legal experience
- More than 150 cases, according to his firm
2 sources
What people are saying
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. We all did our part. I don’t see what I could’ve done differently.
It took us 30 years, but at this time you are going to face justice for what you did on Sept. 7, 1996.