Michael Sanft, the American lawyer who had defended Duane “Keefe D” Davis, convicted for the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, was found dead at his home in Las Vegas. He was 55 years old. His death was confirmed by the Clark County authorities in Nevada. The causes of his death remain unknown, but the police indicated that no evidence suggested a suspicious death. His passing was announced just days after filing an appeal against the conviction of his famous client.
A lawyer found dead at home, cause of death still unknown
The body of Michael Sanft was discovered at his home in Las Vegas. The Clark County medical examiner confirmed his death, specifying that examinations to determine the exact circumstances of his death are still ongoing. No official cause has been communicated and authorities have announced no criminal investigation.
The news sparked many reactions in the Las Vegas legal community, where Michael Sanft had practiced for over twenty years. Michael Sloan, a security official at the Clark County courthouse and close friend of the lawyer, paid tribute by stating: “He was one of my best friends and one of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever known.”
Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo, who had faced Michael Sanft during Duane Davis’s trial, also honored his memory. “Michael Sanft was one of the best defense lawyers in Las Vegas. The city has lost an excellent lawyer and, more importantly to me, I have lost a friend.”
He had just challenged the conviction of Tupac’s killer
Michael Sanft had gained international notoriety by defending Duane “Keefe D” Davis, a former influential member of the South Side Compton Crips, prosecuted for his involvement in Tupac Shakur’s assassination.
In August 2026, after a highly publicized trial concerning Tupac Shakur’s murder, a Nevada jury found Duane Davis guilty of first-degree murder with use of a firearm. On October 13, the 63-year-old man was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in prison, potentially up to life imprisonment.
Michael Sanft had provided his defense pro bono. During the hearings, he notably challenged the strength of the evidence gathered by investigators and questioned the credibility of certain statements made by his own client over the years.
After the verdict, the lawyer expressed his disappointment while affirming he had mobilized all available means to defend Duane Davis. “We had the best possible team in this case. We all did our part. I don’t see what I could have done differently.”
On October 30, just days before his body was found, an appeal notice had been filed to contest Duane Davis’s conviction. Michael Sanft was thus preparing a new legal battle in one of the most famous criminal cases in American hip-hop history.
The murder of Tupac, a thirty-year-old case
On September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was seriously wounded by gunfire while riding in a BMW driven by Marion “Suge” Knight, head of Death Row Records, in Las Vegas. A white Cadillac approached their vehicle at a red light before several shots were fired. The rapper died six days later, on September 13, at only 25 years old.
The investigation had long stalled. For nearly thirty years, no suspect had been tried for this assassination, which became one of the most famous crimes in the American music industry.
The investigations eventually led to the arrest of Duane Davis in September 2023. Investigators notably relied on his numerous public statements and his memoirs published in 2019, in which he mentioned his presence in the Cadillac involved in the shooting.
According to the prosecution, the murder was organized in retaliation for an altercation that occurred a few hours earlier in a Las Vegas casino, during which Tupac Shakur and several people in his entourage had beaten Orlando Anderson, Duane Davis’s nephew.
The latter was found guilty of organizing the attack, although the judicial debates did not definitively establish the identity of the man who fired the fatal shots.
Michael Sanft, a renowned lawyer who had argued over 150 trials
Before defending Duane Davis, Michael Sanft had built a solid reputation in Nevada. Born and raised in the Tonga archipelago in the Pacific, he moved to the United States at age 12 before studying law at Brigham Young University.
Admitted to the Nevada bar since 2002, he had participated in more than 150 jury trials. He notably worked at SOS Injury Lawyers, a firm specializing in personal injury cases.
Among his high-profile cases was also the defense of Michele Fiore, a former Las Vegas elected official convicted in a case of embezzlement of funds intended to finance a monument honoring a police officer killed in the line of duty. She later received a presidential pardon granted by Donald Trump.
Lawyer Dan Hill, who worked alongside him for several years, praised his professional qualities and his ability to establish direct contact with jurors. Several colleagues also expressed their astonishment after the announcement of his passing.
Michael Sanft was a father of two children. The Clark County medical examiner’s office still needs to determine the exact causes and circumstances of his death. No timeline has been provided for the publication of their findings.
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