Keffe D’s Tupac Murder Appeal Is Officially On — But the Lawyer Who Filed It Is Gone

The appeal in the Tupac Shakur murder case is officially on the books — but the man who filed it now has no lawyer to argue it.

The Nevada Supreme Court has accepted Duane “Keffe D” Davis’ appeal of his first-degree murder conviction, according to court records viewed by XXL. His attorney, Michael Sanft, submitted the notice of appeal on October 30, and the clerk of the Nevada Supreme Court officially filed the case on Monday, November 9.

Then came the twist nobody saw coming: Sanft died last week at his Las Vegas home. Details surrounding his death have not been released, and police are still investigating. Davis is now without representation, and it is unclear how his appeal moves forward from here.

The court’s clock is already running. Davis has two weeks to file a transcript request form, three weeks to file a docketing statement, and 120 days to file an opening brief.

Davis, 63, was sentenced in October to 40 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in Tupac’s 1996 death. The moment the verdict came down, he told Judge Carli Kierny exactly what he planned to do next — appeal the decision, and get his belongings back. “I’d like to have all my stuff back,” he told the judge. “The computers, all of the phones, everything. And I’d like to appeal this matter.”

Prosecutors believe Davis supplied the gun used in the September 7, 1996 shooting near Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas, and that he was present when Tupac was shot. The other three men believed to have been involved have all died, including the alleged triggerman, Davis’ nephew Orlando Anderson, who was killed in 1998. Police said the shooting was retaliation for Anderson being jumped by Tupac and members of Death Row Records after a Mike Tyson fight.

Accepting an appeal is not the same as winning one — it simply means the case has entered the court’s process. Davis’s conviction and his 40-years-to-life sentence stand unless the Supreme Court rules otherwise. But with his lawyer gone and the deadlines already ticking, the next chapter of this 30-year-old case starts with a question nobody can answer yet: who will argue it?

What do you think happens next in the Keffe D appeal? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and hit us up with your requests — call the request line at +1 302-357-9831.

Source: XXL