The murder of a well-known journalist moves Las Vegas: The investigative reporter Jeff German, who has been reporting in Las Vegas for four decades, was stabbed to death in front of his house.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department LVMPD said it has information on a suspect who has not yet been taken into custody.

According to the police, the murder was preceded by a dispute.

The 69-year-old German reported on corruption and organized crime in the city, whose extravagant theaters and casinos have mostly been built by mafia families since the 1930s, when the construction of the Hoover Dam drew more than 20,000 young men to the desert region of Colorado became.

On his Twitter page, he describes himself as a member of the investigative team at the Las Vegas Review-Journal and "loves digging up stories."

Among other things, he and a colleague publicized the 1997 murder of Herbert Blitzstein, a bookie with mafia connections, reported failed inspections before a deadly hotel fire, and wrote about mismanagement, misconduct and sexual assault in Clark County offices.

Robust reporters for robust press freedom

According to the Review Journal, German kept an eye on mafiosi, but also on the misconduct of politicians, police officers, lawyers, judges and entrepreneurs.

German was the embodiment of the first amendment to the constitution - the guaranteed freedom of speech and freedom of the press - the paper quoted the defense attorney Tom Pitaro, who had known German for decades.

Robust press freedom requires robust reporters, said Pitaro.

Other colleagues and friends described German as fair, trustworthy and with a great sense of justice.

He was "fearless" and a journalist through and through.

Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus, a Democrat, wrote on Twitter that German's stories often "underlined the need for reforms that have made our city better."

German had worked for the Las Vegas Sun from the late 1980s and switched to the Review Journal in 2010.

He wrote the book Murder in Sin City: The Death of a Las Vegas Casino Boss about the mysterious death of casino heir Ted Binion, and he was the author and host of the podcast Mobbed Up: The Fight for Las Vegas.

According to Review-Journal executive editor Glenn Cook, German had not raised any concerns about his safety or reported any threats before the crime.

The newspaper's editorial team and staff were "devastated" at the loss of Jeff German, Cook said.

"It's hard to imagine what Las Vegas would be like without the light he shone into its darkest corners for many years."