Michael Sanft, the defence lawyer who represented Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis in the murder trial of American rapper Tupac Shakur, has died at the age of 55.

Sanft was found dead in Las Vegas on Friday, November 6, according to USA Today, which cited a spokesperson for the Clark County Office of the Coroner. The cause of death had not been disclosed as of the time of filing this report.

The Nevada-based attorney recently represented Davis, 63, who was convicted in August of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon over his role in Shakur’s fatal shooting in 1996.

Davis was sentenced in October to 40 years to life imprisonment, becoming the first person convicted in connection with the rapper’s killing.

Following the conviction, Sanft expressed disappointment with the jury’s decision but vowed to challenge the verdict. Court records cited by USA Today showed that he filed a notice of appeal on October 30.

Speaking to FOX5 after Davis’ sentencing, Sanft said his legal team had done everything possible throughout the trial, adding that he could not identify anything he would have handled differently.

He also recalled that Davis encouraged him to remain focused on the appeal, describing the conviction as only the first phase of a longer legal battle.

According to his biography on the website of his law firm, SOS Injury Lawyers, Sanft grew up in Tonga before relocating with his family to San Diego, California, at the age of 12.

He later attended BYU-Hawaii and performed at the Polynesian Cultural Center before pursuing a career in law. His firm described him as an experienced trial attorney who had handled more than 150 cases.

At the time of his death, Sanft was the lead trial attorney at SOS Injury Lawyers.