Jeff German, a Las Vegas investigative reporter who covered organized crime, was stabbed to death after an altercation outside his home, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Saturday. He was 69.
German, a journalist for Las Vegas Review-Journal, was found dead with stab wounds Saturday morning after an apparent altercation that occurred outside his Nevada home, police told the Review-Journal.
The well-known investigative reporter, whose work for the community spans over three decades, broke exclusive stories about political scandals, organized crime and government malfeasance.
Police responded to a 911 call from a person who said a neighbor was dead outside of the victim’s house around 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Dori Koren told the Review-Journal.
According to police, German had stab wounds and appeared to have been involved in an altercation that took place outside of his home. Police reported that they have “some leads” and “are pursuing a suspect but the suspect is outstanding.”
The suspect remains unknown to the public and it is unclear whether German’s death was related to his investigative work.
Authorities said Sunday that the investigation remained a priority for the department, saying “LVMPD enacted its major case protocol Saturday in the homicide investigation. This brings together a variety of resources to maximize the investigative effort and apply a sense of urgency to the apprehension of the suspect.”
Las Vegas Police did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
“The Review-Journal family is devastated to lose Jeff,” Executive Editor Glenn Cook said. “He was the gold standard of the news business. It’s hard to imagine what Las Vegas would be like today without his many years of shining a bright light on dark places.”
German, who earned a master’s degree from Marquette University, worked at the Las Vegas Sun for over 20 years as a reporter and a columnist focusing on courts, politics, labor, government and organized crime. His colleagues at the Sun recall German breaking exclusive stories about the city’s organized crime and note that he was “in the trenches” of the underground crime world.
In 2010, the reporter joined Review-Journal and investigated a slew of injustices and government failures, including exposing “failures in city inspections before the deadly Alpine Motel Apartments fire in 2019; claims of bullying, hostility and mismanagement at the Clark County’s public administrator’s office; and extremist activity in Southern Nevada,” according to the publication.
In 2001, German authored a true-crime book, titled “Murder in Sin City: The Death of a Las Vegas Casino Boss,” which centered on Ted Binion, heir to the Horseshoe Club fortune. He also wrote and hosted the second season of the Review-Journal’s true crime podcast, “Mobbed Up: the Fight for Vegas,” which took the perspective of witness Wayne Newton in documenting the rise and fall of organized crime in Sin City.
Many shared their condolences for the loss of the beloved journalist, including Gov. Steve Sisolak, who said his death was “a tragic loss for our community,” and Rep. Dina Titus, who described German as a “fearless reporter.”