Attorney who represented Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis in Tupac murder trial dies
Man who orchestrated Tupac’s murder sentenced
Duane "Keffe D" Davis was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for his role in the 1996 drive-by shooting death of rapper Tupac Shakur.
LAS VEGAS - Michael Sanft, the defense attorney who represented Duane "Keffe D" Davis in the Tupac Shakur murder trial, has died.
Attorney who represented Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis in Tupac trial dies
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Clark County Coroner’s Office confirmed the news to FOX Local. They said his cause of death was still pending.
Sources told FOX5 Las Vegas earlier on Friday that Sanft, 55, was reported dead on Thursday night in Las Vegas.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis sentenced
The backstory:
"Keffe D" Davis was sentenced last month to 40 years to life for arranging the murder of Shakur, who was shot in a drive-by shooting on Sept. 7, 1996.
Duane Davis (R) and his attorney Michael Sanft sit in a courtroom after a jury found Davis guilty in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, at Clark County District Court at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 31, 2026. (Cre
In August 2026, Davis, 63, was convicted of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon. The Associated Press reported that Davis is the only person ever charged in the death of Shakur.
RELATED: Duane 'Keffe D' Davis sentenced to 40 years to life for arranging murder of Tupac Shakur
According to the AP, prosecutors argued Davis orchestrated the shooting and provided the gun used in Shakur's death, which was the result of a rivalry between the South Side Compton Crips and Mob Piru.
Davis' defense attorney referenced a lack of physical evidence that linked his client to the crime, and he portrayed Davis as a liar who was attempting to make money.
Following nine days of hearing testimony in August, the jury deliberated for three hours before turning over the guilty verdict. The AP noted that Davis said in court that he planned to appeal.
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
The Source: The information for this story was provided by Clark County Coroner’s Office. FOX5 Las Vegas contributed. This story was reported from Los Angeles.