A renowned investigative reporter who covered organised crime and casino corruption in Las Vegas has been stabbed to death in what officials described as a “senseless act of violence”.
Jeff German, 69, was found dead outside his home on Saturday morning, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Police said they believed his death to be an isolated incident.
Mr German’s career spanned more than three decades atThe Las Vegas Sun and The Las Vegas Review-Journal, investigating the Las Vegas mafia and numerous examples of local government and gambling industry corruption or malfeasance.
“The Review-Journal family is devastated to lose Jeff,” said Glenn Cook, Mr German’s executive editor. “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.”
Mr Cook said that Mr German had not mentioned any threats or concerns for his safey to his colleagues before his death.
Las Vegas police said they believed Mr German had been involved in an altercation with another person outside his house on Friday morning, leading a passer-by to phone 911 the following day.
Police captain Dori Koren said: “We do have some leads. We are pursuing a suspect but the suspect is outstanding.”
City mayor Carolyn Goodman described it as “a senseless act of violence”, saying her office would be “closely following” the investigation.
Mr German was well known in Las Vegas for his scoops. In 1997, he and his then colleague Cathy Scott at the Sun broke the story that Herbert “Fat Herbie” Blitzstein, a famed mafia bookmaker portrayed in the 1995 film Casino, had been killed in what was later proven to be a mob hit.
“He was a hard news guy,” Ms Scott said of Mr German. ”He worked hard and had tons of sources … a dyed-in-the-wool newsman. That’s who he was. He was dedicated to the craft.”
More recently, Mr German revealed how executives at a Las Vegas government agency had spent lavishly on expenses and allegedly abused thousands of dollars’ worth of airline gift cards; how a county prosecutor covered up embezzlement against his political campaign by one of his aides; and how a lethal apartment fire was preceded by a string of safety failures.
