Sanft, 55, was discovered inside his Las Vegas home on Friday morning, according to his friend, Michael Sloan, who spoke to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, as authorities have yet to establish the cause and manner of death. However, police reportedly said there were no immediate indications of suspicious circumstances.
His death occurred seven days after he filed a notice of appeal on October 30, challenging the conviction of Davis in connection with Shakur’s murder.
Davis, 63, was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on October 13 after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder involving the use of a deadly weapon.
Shakur, who was 25 at the time, was shot four times in a drive-by attack in Las Vegas in September 1996. He died in hospital six days after the shooting.
Prosecutors maintained that Davis masterminded the killing. They also presented evidence that he had discussed his involvement while attempting to avoid possible prosecution in 2008. Davis later claimed responsibility for the shooting in his 2019 memoir.
According to the prosecution, Davis’ nephew, Orlando Anderson, was the gunman. Anderson had reportedly been involved in a physical altercation with Shakur at the MGM Grand casino on the Las Vegas Strip just hours before the rapper was shot.
Anderson was killed in a shootout two years after Shakur’s death. Davis became the first person to be charged in connection with the high-profile murder.
Sanft, a prominent Nevada defence attorney, represented Davis without charge. Following the guilty verdict, he maintained that he and his legal team had made every possible effort to secure a favourable outcome during the trial.
“We had the best team possible in this case, from the motion practice work on this appeal to our investigator to our firm here at SOS Injury. We all did our part. I don’t see what I could’ve done differently,” Sanft said after the verdict.
He also recounted his conversation with Davis shortly after the jury delivered its decision, describing how his client encouraged him to remain focused on the appeal process.
“He had reminded me this is phase one. Because I was upset with the verdict, I was very disappointed in the jury. Mr. Davis was the one who said, ‘Don’t worry about it, man, this is the first phase,’ and I said, ‘I understand, I hate to lose,’” Sanft recalled.
Sanft is survived by his two children.
His death has drawn attention because of its timing, coming shortly after he initiated legal proceedings to challenge Davis’ conviction. However, authorities have not established any connection between his death and the appeal.
