A Las Vegas investigative reporter was stabbed to death just outside his home on Saturday and an arrest has been made in connection to the murder.
Officers found Jeff German, 69, dead around 10:30 a.m. Saturday after responding to a 911 call.
The stabbing was sparked by a fight with another person, according to police.
German was an accomplished Las Vegas Review-Journal journalist. The newspaper’s top editor said staff was “devastated to lose Jeff.”
Executive Editor Glenn Cook said in a statement, “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.”
Capt. Dori Koren of the Las Vegas police had said “We do have some leads.” “We are pursuing a suspect but the suspect is outstanding.”
“LVMPD enacted its major case protocol Saturday in the homicide investigation,” the department said, according to the Las Vegas Journal-Review.
“This brings together a variety of resources to maximize the investigative effort and apply a sense of urgency to the apprehension of the suspect,” it added.
German started working at the Review-Journal in 2010 after leaving the Las Vegas Sun. His work uncovered three decades of organized crime and political corruption, the newspaper said.
He heavily focused on the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting where 60 people were killed and hundreds were injured.
On Wednesday, police raided the home of Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles, who had been the subject of a string of recent stories by German.
They arrived at Telles’ home around 6:30 a.m. after blocking off streets. At 9 a.m., a statement was released confirming they were executing search warrants in connection to German’s murder.
A photo was released on Tuesday of a vehicle that may have been used by a possible suspect, a red or maroon GMC Yukon Denali.
The vehicle matched the description of an SUV observed in Telles’ driveway, which was towed away with another car around 12:50 p.m on Wednesday, reported the Review-Journal.
Telles had lost his re-election bid in June’s primary election after German’s reporting was published. This included allegations of “emotional stress, bullying and favoritism,” according to the outlet.
On June 18, Telles tweeted “Looking forward to lying smear piece #4 by @JGermanRJ. #onetrickpony I think he’s mad that I haven’t crawled into a hole and died.”
Later that day, he said “Wife hears rustling in the trash* Her: ‘Honey, is there a wild animal in the trash?’ Me: ‘No, dear. Look like it’s @JGermanRJ going through our trash for his 4th story on me.’ Oh, Jeff…”.
Telles’ arrest was announced Wednesday by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Review-Journal reporter Brett Clarkson said Telles was “taken out of his house on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance.”