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Defense attorney in Tupac Shakur murder trial found dead at 55: report
By Stephanie Giang-Paunon
Published November 07, 2026
Michael Sanft, the Las Vegas defense attorney who represented Duane "Keffe D" Davis in the Tupac Shakur murder case, was found dead inside his home Friday morning, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He was 55.
The cause and manner of Sanft's death has not yet been determined. Police told the Las Vegas outlet that the death did not appear suspicious.
Michael Sloan, a close friend who rode motorcycles with Sanft, according to the report, confirmed his death and remembered the attorney as a devoted friend.
DUANE 'KEFFE D' DAVIS FOUND GUILTY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN 1996 KILLING OF TUPAC SHAKUR
Michael Sanft, the defense attorney who represented Duane "Keffe D" Davis in the Tupac Shakur murder trial, has reportedly died at age 55, days after filing an appeal challenging his client's conviction. (David Becker / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
"He was one of my best friends and one of the best human beings I knew," Sloan shared
Fox News Digital reached out to the Clark County coroner's office and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for comment.
Tupac Shakur was shot in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996, and died six days later at age 25. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
Sanft's death comes after a courtroom battle that ended with Davis, 63, becoming the first person convicted in connection with Shakur's 1996 murder.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur and sentenced to 40 years to life in prison. (John Locher / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
A Nevada jury found Davis guilty of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon in August. He was sentenced Oct. 13 to 40 years to life behind bars, according to The Associated Press.
The verdict marked a significant development in a case that has drawn international attention for nearly three decades.
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Shakur was riding in a BMW with Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight near the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 7, 1996, when a gunman in a white Cadillac opened fire.
Knight survived with minor injuries. Shakur, one of hip-hop's biggest stars at the time, died six days later at age 25.
Defense attorney Michael Sanft cross examines James McDonald during the murder trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur. (John Locher/Pool via REUTERS)
Prosecutors argued Davis orchestrated the killing after his nephew was involved in a fight with Shakur and Knight earlier that night.
During closing arguments, prosecutor Binu Palal told jurors Davis obtained a gun and "went hunting" for the two men. Prosecutors also pointed to Davis' own statements placing himself inside the Cadillac used in the shooting.
Sanft disputed the prosecution's case, telling jurors there was no evidence beyond Davis' statements placing his client in Las Vegas or inside the Cadillac.
Jurors deliberated for about three hours before finding Davis guilty.
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A 1996 photo of rapper Tupac Shakur (L) and Marion "Suge" Knight is displayed during the Duane Davis murder trial, related to the 1996 killing of the rapper. (STEVE MARCUS / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
The decision prompted an emotional scene in court, with Shakur's sister, Sekyiwa "Set" Shakur, crying as the verdict was read. Davis' son covered his face with one hand.
The jury consisted of 12 jurors and four alternates. The panel heard testimony over nine days from 24 prosecution witnesses and three defense witnesses.
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Davis was held without bail after the verdict and before his sentencing in October.
No further details about Sanft’s death were immediately available.
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Fox News Digital's Sophia Compton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/defense-attorney-tupac-shakur-murder-trial-found-dead-55-report