Michael Sanft, the Las Vegas trial lawyer who defended Duane “Keffe D” Davis in the Tupac Shakur murder case, has died, a friend confirmed Friday. Sanft was 54, and his body was found at his home Friday morning, according to that friend.
The news was first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which said Michael Sloan, a Clark County District Court marshal who rode motorcycles with Sanft, confirmed that his body was discovered at home Friday morning. Sloan described Sanft as more than a friend, telling the paper, “He was one of my best friends and one of the best human beings I knew.”
As of Friday afternoon, Sanft's cause of death had not been released, according to KTNV. A separate report from 8 News Now said the cause and date of death were not known at the time of publication, underscoring how little had been made public about the circumstances surrounding his death.
A Defense Attorney Known for Taking on High-Profile Cases
Sanft represented Duane Davis, who was found guilty of first-degree murder in a trial tied to Tupac Shakur's killing in 1996. That trial was held at the Clark County District Court Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, and Davis was ultimately sentenced to 40 years to life in prison, 8 News Now reported.
It wasn't the only headline-grabbing case on Sanft's résumé. The station's report notes that he also defended former Las Vegas city councilwoman Michele Fiore in a wire fraud and conspiracy case, withdrawing from her defense after a federal jury found her guilty in 2024.
Per the same account, Sanft's online biography stated he had tried more than 150 cases over the course of his career. He grew up on the island of Tonga before moving to San Diego as a pre-teen, and he went on to earn his law degree from Brigham Young University, according to the station.
Remembered by Those Who Knew Him
Beyond the courtroom, friends describe Sanft as a man who left an impression on the people around him. Sloan's tribute to the Review-Journal painted him as a steady presence both on and off his motorcycle, a friend whose loss has rippled through the local legal and law enforcement community he moved in.
No further details about services or a cause of death had emerged as of Friday, and none of the available reports have clarified the exact date he died.
