An investigative reporter for The Las Vegas Review-Journal was found stabbed to death outside his home, prompting a search for the attacker, according to the newspaper and the authorities, The New York Times reported.

The police believe Jeff German, 69, was in an altercation with someone that resulted in the stabbing, The Review-Journal reported. Dori Koren, a spokesman for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, told the newspaper that the police had potential leads on an assailant.

A motive was not immediately clear.

Glenn Cook, The Review-Journal’s executive editor, told the paper that German had not communicated any concerns for his safety or any threats made against him.

German’s career spanned more than three decades in Las Vegas, where he won several awards and broke stories on organized crime, casinos, and political corruption.

Governor Steve Sisolak of Nevada said in a statement that German “was tough but fair and a great mentor to young reporters.”