Michael Sanft, Attorney for 'Keffe D' in Tupac Shakur Murder Trial, Dies at 55

Michael Sanft, the Las Vegas defense attorney who represented Duane “Keffe D” Davis in the Tupac Shakur murder case, has died at 55. Sanft was found dead at his home on Friday morning, Nov. 6, 2026, according to a friend quoted by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and the Clark County coroner’s office confirmed his death to USA TODAY.

His cause and manner of death are pending with the coroner. A police spokesperson told the Review-Journal the death did not appear suspicious. No other details have been released.

Who was Michael Sanft?

Sanft was a veteran Las Vegas trial lawyer licensed in Nevada in 2002, according to the State Bar of Nevada as cited by the Review-Journal. His firm biography says he tried about 150 cases to jury verdict. At the time of his death, he was lead trial attorney at SOS Injury Lawyers, USA TODAY reported.

According to that biography, Sanft grew up on the island of Tonga in a home without electricity, moved to San Diego at age 12, served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and studied at BYU-Hawaii before attending law school at BYU.

The Review-Journal described him as a lawyer who wore his hair long, pinned a rosette on his suit lapel and liked to ask prospective jurors about their favorite movies. Friends said he was divorced and had two children.

His role in the Tupac Shakur case

Sanft defended Davis, the only person ever charged in the 1996 Las Vegas shooting death of Tupac Shakur. A jury found Davis guilty in August 2026 of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon for his role in organizing the killing, and in October he was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison, USA TODAY reported.

During the trial, Sanft questioned the credibility of Davis’s own past statements about his involvement in the shooting and attacked the quality of the police investigation, according to the Review-Journal.

After the sentencing, Sanft said he planned to appeal. Court records obtained by USA TODAY show he filed a notice of appeal on Oct. 30. It is not yet clear who will handle Davis’s appeal going forward; neither outlet reported on that.

Speaking to FOX5 after the sentencing, as quoted by USA TODAY, Sanft said: “I don’t see what I could’ve done differently.” He recalled Davis telling him, “Don’t worry about it, man, this is the first phase.”

Other high-profile cases

Sanft also represented former Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore at her 2024 federal trial over money raised for a statue honoring fallen Las Vegas police officer Alyn Beck. Fiore was convicted and later pardoned by President Donald Trump, the Review-Journal noted.

Tributes

Marc DiGiacomo, one of the prosecutors in the Davis case, told the Review-Journal: “Michael Sanft was one of the premier defense attorneys in Las Vegas, and Las Vegas lost a good lawyer and more importantly to me, I lost a friend.”

Michael Sloan, a Clark County District Court marshal who rode motorcycles with Sanft, called him “one of the best human beings I knew.” Fiore said “the community has lost a very caring, great attorney,” and attorney Dan Hill, who once clerked for Sanft, described him as “a naturally gifted trial lawyer.”

FAQ