Michael Sanft

Michael Sanft was a Las Vegas criminal defense and personal injury attorney whose national profile rose when he represented Duane "Keefe D" Davis, the man convicted in 2026 of orchestrating the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. He died on 5 November 2026 at the age of 54. A friend told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Sanft's body was found at his home on the morning of 6 November. As of the first public reports, no cause of death had been released, and Clark County authorities referred questions to the coroner's office.

Sanft grew up on the island of Tonga in a childhood home without electricity that shared a water faucet with neighboring houses. At age 12 he moved with his family to San Diego, California. In his later firm biography he recalled watching the green island disappear below and promising himself to honor the people and culture that raised him and to seize the opportunity America offered. He served a two-year proselyting mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then attended Brigham Young University-Hawaii, where he also danced at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

He received a law degree from Brigham Young University and was admitted to the Nevada State Bar in 2002. Over decades of practice he tried more than 150 cases to jury verdict and built a reputation for courtroom advocacy. He became lead trial attorney at Las Vegas-based SOS Injury Lawyers, focusing on personal injury and product liability work for consumers. The firm and Sanft were featured on KTNV's Las Vegas Morning Blend for community and charitable efforts, including a Small Dog Law initiative supporting local animal rescues.

His highest-profile criminal defense work came as counsel for Duane "Keefe D" Davis in the Tupac Shakur murder prosecution in Clark County. Davis was found guilty of first-degree murder in August 2026 and later sentenced to 40 years to life; Sanft had represented him through trial, and reports noted plans for an appeal. Sanft also defended former Las Vegas City Councilwoman and then-Pahrump Justice of the Peace Michele Fiore in her 2024 federal wire fraud and conspiracy case, withdrawing after her conviction. Fiore was later pardoned by President Donald Trump.

Colleagues remembered Sanft as a formidable trial lawyer and a close friend. Clark County District Court marshal Michael Sloan, who rode motorcycles with him, called him one of the best human beings he knew. Sanft's death closed a career that spanned high-stakes criminal defense and consumer injury work in Las Vegas, and left unresolved public questions about the cause. This page will be updated if the coroner or his family release further information.