Michael Sanft, Lawyer for Keffe D in Tupac Murder Trial, Dies at 54
Michael Sanft, the Las Vegas defence attorney who represented Duane "Keffe D" Davis at the trial over the killing of Tupac Shakur, has died. Billboard reported that he was 54 and died on Thursday night in Las Vegas.
Attorney Michael Sloan told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Sanft's body was found at his home on Friday morning. No cause of death has been confirmed. 8 News Now was among the first outlets to report the death.
Sanft was a criminal defence and trial lawyer in Las Vegas. He had tried more than 150 cases. While serving as lead trial attorney for SOS Injury Lawyers, he took on Davis's case pro bono, meaning he did not charge a fee for the defence.
The case itself was one of the best-known in American music history. Tupac Shakur was shot in a drive-by attack in 1996 near the Las Vegas Strip, and he died six days later. Davis, now 63, was found guilty of first-degree murder for his role in orchestrating the killing. First-degree murder is the most serious degree of murder, and it requires planning in advance. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison and is held at High Desert State Prison, according to the Nevada Department of Corrections. Davis is the only person convicted in the killing.
During the trial, Sanft questioned his client's credibility. He also asked jurors whether there was any evidence that Davis had called the shots before or after the shooting. Those arguments were the defence's case in a trial that ran for weeks and drew close attention from fans and the media.
Sanft's death leaves a gap in a courtroom that had followed the case for decades. For the people who worked alongside him, and for his family, it is a loss that the trial's verdict does not change.
