Lawyer Who Defended Tupac’s Killer, Michael Sanft, Dies at 55

Michael Sanft, the American lawyer who defended Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis, the man convicted of orchestrating the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, has died at the age of 55.

Sanft was found dead at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday morning, according to his friend, Michael Sloan, a marshal with the Clark County District Court.

The Clark County Coroner’s Office said the cause and manner of death were yet to be determined, while a police spokesperson indicated that the circumstances did not appear suspicious.

Sanft gained widespread attention for representing Davis during his trial over Shakur’s killing. Davis was convicted of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon in August and sentenced to 40 years to life imprisonment on October 13.

The rapper was shot in a drive-by attack near the Las Vegas Strip in September 1996 and died in hospital six days later. The case remained unresolved for decades before Davis became the first person to be charged in connection with the killing.

During the trial, Sanft challenged the prosecution’s investigation and questioned the credibility of statements Davis had previously made about his involvement in the murder.

Following the conviction, the lawyer expressed disappointment with the jury’s decision but maintained that his defence team had done everything possible. He subsequently filed a notice of appeal on October 30, seeking to challenge the conviction.

Beyond the high-profile case, Sanft was an experienced trial lawyer who had handled more than 150 cases that went before juries, according to his law firm’s biography.

He grew up in Tonga before moving with his family to San Diego, California, at the age of 12. He later studied at Brigham Young University-Hawaii before attending law school at Brigham Young University. He was licensed to practise law in Nevada in 2002.

Colleagues and friends described him as a gifted lawyer who connected easily with people and maintained cordial relationships across the legal profession.

Sloan said Sanft was one of his closest friends, describing him as a caring person whose presence made life better for those around him.

Sanft is survived by his two children.