The Tupac Shakur murder case is back in front of a Nevada court. This time, it is the state's highest one.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis is appealing his first-degree murder conviction to the Nevada Supreme Court. The court's clerk filed the case on Monday, Nov. 9, and three deadlines are already running.
Here is the twist most coverage is missing. The lawyer who filed the appeal is dead, and as of Nov. 9 the court had not been formally told.
What the Court Has Actually Done So Far
Davis's attorney, Michael Sanft, submitted the notice of appeal on Oct. 30. A request for draft transcripts followed on Nov. 2, according to 8 News Now.
Sanft died about a week after filing the notice. The Clark County Coroner's Office confirmed his death on Nov. 6, and no cause or manner of death has been released, FOX5 Las Vegas reported.
As of Nov. 9, the Supreme Court said it had not received formal notification of Sanft's death from the State Bar of Nevada. Once it does, Davis will be given additional time to secure a new lawyer and file the required documents, according to FOX5.
That detail matters, because an appeal on the docket is not a win. Docketing is procedural. The conviction stands, the sentence stands, and no new trial has been granted.
The Three Deadlines Now Running
The court has set three clocks for Davis, and they started when the case was filed:
- Transcript request form: due within two weeks
- Docketing statement: due within three weeks
- Opening brief: due within 120 days
Those deadlines come from court documents reported by News 3 Las Vegas and XXL. KTNV also confirmed the 120-day opening brief deadline.
Davis, 63, is serving his sentence at High Desert State Prison. A prison spokesperson told 8 News Now he was transferred there on Oct. 22.
The Conviction This Appeal Has to Overturn
A Las Vegas jury found Davis guilty in August of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon. Judge Carli Kierny sentenced him on Oct. 13 to 40 years to life in prison.
Prosecutors said Davis orchestrated the Sept. 7, 1996, shooting that killed Shakur near Flamingo Road and Koval Lane. Davis was arrested in September 2023, and he is the only person ever charged in the killing.
At trial, Sanft argued Davis had lied about his involvement to make money from a memoir and documentary interviews. News 3 reported Sanft also argued there was no evidence placing Davis in Las Vegas at the time of the shooting.
Right after the verdict, Davis told the judge he wanted to appeal. He also asked to retrieve property seized during the investigation, according to XXL.
What to watch next is simple. Watch for the State Bar notification, a new lawyer entering the case, and whether the court extends those first two deadlines.
