Published Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022 | 11:58 a.m.
Updated Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022 | 3:45 p.m.
Jeff German
If there was a big story in Las Vegas, Jeff German was there to report on it.
German covered some of Las Vegas’ most noteworthy news events over the past four decades — the deadly MGM fire in 1980, the death of casino boss Ted Binion in the late 1990s, the FBI investigation in the early 2000s into bribes taken by Clark County Commissioners and countless others.
“Jeff was a solid journalist who had credibility,” said Brian Greenspun, publisher and editor of the Las Vegas Sun, where German got his start in Las Vegas. “He had a reputation for protecting a source. In the newspaper world, that’s the best anyone can say about you — that they trusted you. I know Jeff was trusted.”
Metro Police officers found German dead with stab wounds around 10:30 a.m. Saturday in front of his home after authorities received a 911 call, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where German had worked since leaving the Sun in 2010.
It appears the 69-year-old German was in an altercation with another person that led to the stabbing, which is believed to be an isolated incident, police said.
“We believe the altercation took place outside of the home,” Capt. Dori Koren, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department spokesman, said at a news conference. “We do have some leads. We are pursuing a suspect but the suspect is outstanding.”
Glenn Cook, the Review-Journal’s executive editor, said German had not communicated any concerns about his personal safety or any threats made against him to anyone in the newspaper’s leadership.
“The Review-Journal family is devastated to lose Jeff,” 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.”
German joined the Review-Journal 12 years ago after more than two decades at the Sun, where he was a columnist and reporter who covered courts, politics, labor, government and organized crime. He was known for his stories about government malfeasance and political scandals.
"Murder in Sin City" by Jeff German
German was the author of the 2001 true-crime book “Murder in Sin City: The Death of a Las Vegas Casino Boss,” the story of the death of Ted Binion, heir to the Horseshoe Club fortune.
He covered the Binion death and trial for the Sun, documenting how Binion’s girlfriend, Sandra Murphy, and her love interest Rick Tabish were acquitted on murder charges after initially being convicted in the death.
A 12-foot-deep concrete vault at Binion’s estate in Pahrump was discovered in the days after his death with coins and cash valued at about $10 million. Deputies found Tabish and two associates using an excavator and dump truck attempting to make off with some of the vault’s contents
The story drew national attention — and German was leading the way with coverage for the Sun.
“It’s ironic that he was killed as a victim of a violent crime because that is the world he reported on,” Greenspun said. “It’s very sad. We feel bad for his family.”
Even though German left for the Review Journal, he was still considered family at the Sun. German’s sister, Julie, is married to Las Vegas Sun editorial cartoonist Mike Smith, and German stayed in contact with Greenspun.
“Jeff has always been family; just a sad day,” Greenspun said. “This is a great loss. This one hits home. These are people we knew and who we cared about.”
Many of the people German reported on shared their condolences as news of his death spread. Gov. Steve Sisolak in a Twitter post said “this is a tragic loss for our community.”
“(German) was tough but fair and a great mentor to young reporters,” Sisolak wrote.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford's office shared a similar sentiment, posting on Twitter that “for decades, Jeff German spoke truth to power in the Silver State. This is a horrible, senseless tragedy.”
And Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., posted that “Jeff German was an effective and talented reporter. Devastated by his loss.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
