Vegas Attorney for Tupac Shakur’s Killer Found Dead Following Murder Appeal

POLICY WIRE — Las Vegas, USA — The legal professional responsible for the defense of the man convicted in Tupac Shakur’s murder was discovered deceased in his Las Vegas residence on Friday morning.

Authorities found the body of 55-year-old Michael Sanft inside his home, just a few days after he submitted a formal appeal regarding the high-profile murder case.

While officials have not yet disclosed the specific cause of death, a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal indicates that law enforcement does not believe the death was suspicious.

Sanft served as the lawyer for Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who received a 40-year prison sentence on October 10. The jury had found Davis guilty of first-degree murder for his involvement in the 1996 killing of the legendary rapper.

At 63 years old, Davis remains the only individual ever charged in connection with the death of Shakur, who was killed at age 25 during the height of his musical career.

Davis currently faces a sentence of life imprisonment without any possibility of parole release.

During the proceedings, prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo asserted that regardless of the specific penalty, Davis was destined to spend the remainder of his life behind bars.

DiGiacomo noted that the impact goes beyond the loss of a family member, a sentiment echoed by Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, who was present in the courtroom.

Sanft had intended to challenge the conviction based on the legal argument that the prosecution had waited an unreasonable amount of time to bring the charges.

Following the verdict, Sanft told Fox5 that his team had utilized the best resources available, including investigators and motion practice experts at SOS Injury. He stated he saw no area in which he could have handled the case differently.

The fatal incident occurred on September 7, 1996, when Shakur was traveling in a black BMW with music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight. A white Cadillac pulled alongside them at a red light and fired; Shakur suffered multiple gunshot wounds and passed away six days later, while Knight survived.

The case remained cold for decades until Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, detailed his role in various media interviews and his 2019 memoir.

In the sentencing phase, DiGiacomo argued that because Davis sought financial gain from a homicide he committed, he was not eligible for a lenient sentence. The prosecutor concluded that in his opinion, the defendant deserved the maximum penalty allowed by law.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)em>