Vegas lawyer for Tupac killer found dead days after appeal

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 7 Nov, 16:12 · Archive

Michael Sanft, the lawyer who defended Tupac Shakur's convicted killer Duane 'Keffe D' Davis, has been found dead at 55 in Las Vegas.

Michael Sanft, 55, was found dead in his Las Vegas home on Friday morning. The defence lawyer had represented Duane 'Keffe D' Davis, who was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the 1996 killing of rap superstar Tupac Shakur. Sanft had filed a notice of appeal challenging Davis's conviction on 30 October, just days before his death was discovered.

Davis, 63, was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on 13 October after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon. Shakur, 25, was shot four times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in September 1996 and died six days later in hospital. Davis is the only person to have been charged in connection with the rapper's death.

Davis came to be convicted after giving interviews and publishing a 2019 memoir in which he described his involvement in the shooting. He had masterminded the attack, according to prosecutors, with his nephew Orlando Anderson firing the fatal shots. Anderson had been beaten by Shakur inside the MGM Grand casino hours before the killing, and was himself killed in a shootout two years later.

After the verdict, Sanft told Fox5 that he had done all he could in the case. 'We had the best team possible in this case, from the motion practice work on this appeal to our investigator to our firm,' he said. He described himself as 'very disappointed in the jury', but said Davis remained confident about the appeal process.

Police said Sanft's death does not appear suspicious. The Clark County Coroner's office said the cause and manner of death were pending further investigation.

How it is being reported

• Defense attorney in Tupac Shakur murder trial found dead at 55: reportMichael Sanft, the Las Vegas attorney who defended Duane Davis in the Tupac Shakur murder trial, was reportedly found dead days after filing an appeal in the case.Fox News · 7 Nov, 16:52
• Attorney who represented Tupac Shakur's killer is found dead aged 55 just days after filing an appealThe Las Vegas lawyer died as Davis, 63, planned to appeal his conviction with a notice of the appeal having been filed on Friday, October 30.Daily Mail · 7 Nov, 14:45
• Vegas lawyer who represented Tupac Shakur’s killer found deadThe body of the defense attorney, 55, was discovered inside his homeIndependent World · 7 Nov, 09:54
• Vegas lawyer who represented Tupac Shakur’s killer Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis found deadThe body of Michael Sanft, 55, was discovered inside his Sin City home on Friday morning, according to a friend.New York Post · 7 Nov, 06:14

In this story: Michael Sanft · Duane 'Keffe D' Davis · Tupac Shakur · Las Vegas · Orlando Anderson

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log