German had an altercation with another person Friday that led to his stabbing, Capt. Dori Koren of the Las Vegas police said at a news conference Saturday.
For more than three decades, German worked in Las Vegas, first at the Las Vegas Sun and then the Review-Journal, covering courts, politics and organized crime. German’s colleagues remembered him as a great reporter who was fiercely committed to his craft.
“He was the gold standard of the news business,” Review-Journal Executive Editor Glenn Cook told the paper. “It’s hard to imagine what Las Vegas would be like today without his many years of shining a bright light on dark places.”
Cook said German had not told the paper’s leadership about any concerns for his safety. Police said there is no threat to the public after the stabbing, the Review-Journal reported.
Over the course of his career, German became known for his wide-ranging investigative work and coverage of high-profile stories on politics and organized crime. He wrote the 2001 true crime book “Murder in Sin City: The Death of a Las Vegas Casino Boss,” and he led the paper’s investigation of the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, the deadliest in modern U.S. history.
“He was a fearless reporter and never shied away from tough stories no matter who was involved,” Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) tweeted. “Many exposed need for reform which made our city better.”
Cook said in a statement to The Washington Post that Review-Journal staff members have one question: “Why would someone kill Jeff?” He hopes an arrest will provide an answer.
“He will be terribly missed by his family and colleagues, and we are all in shock over his senseless killing,” Cook’s statement said.
Rhonda Prast, the Review-Journal’s assistant managing editor for investigations and engagement, tweeted Sunday that German had been proud of his work last year on the paper’s true-crime podcast “Mobbed Up: The Fight for Las Vegas.”
German wrote and hosted the podcast’s second season, an eight-episode deep dive into organized crime in Las Vegas in the 1970s and 80s.
“Take a listen as you think of Jeff today,” Prast tweeted.
