Family of Victor Saganitso rallies at FBI Las Vegas office, seeking answers in his killing on the Moapa reservation

What happened

Family and friends of Victor Lee Saganitso IV gathered outside the FBI's Las Vegas field office on Saturday, Nov. 7. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that they chanted his name and called for answers in his killing. The 20-year-old father died Oct. 17 on the Moapa River Indian Reservation, northeast of Las Vegas.

According to the Review-Journal, the family protested what they described as a lack of transparency in the investigation. Relatives said they hope his case does not join the thousands of unsolved cases of missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.

What investigators have said

Cause of death

The Review-Journal cited the Clark County coroner's office, which said Saganitso was found lying in the street with a stab wound to the chest. KTNV reported that he was found unresponsive outside his cousin's home on the reservation. His family told the station the coroner ruled the death a homicide.

FBI leading the case

The Moapa River Police Department previously told the Review-Journal that the FBI was leading the investigation. FBI spokesperson Sandra Breault confirmed the bureau was investigating but declined to give details, citing the active investigation. In a statement reported by KTNV, an FBI spokesperson said, "We are actively investigating this matter." Neither outlet reported that any suspect has been named.

What the family is asking for

Timely work and clear communication

The family distributed a flyer at the protest. According to the Review-Journal, it asked the FBI for a timely investigation and clear, consistent communication. Relatives said they had been told that multiple witnesses and cameras may have seen the killing.

Christina Steffen is the mother of Kiara Fields, the mother of Saganitso's daughter. She told the Review-Journal that on the day of his funeral, two other people told several people they saw what happened. She said the family heard there were probably at least five more people who made statements, yet they still do not know what the fight was about. "Nobody is saying what happened or why," Steffen said.

Remembering Victor

KTNV reported that family members remember Saganitso as someone who loved making music, playing basketball and spending time with the people closest to him. He leaves behind his girlfriend and their three-year-old daughter, Alaia. "He deserves to be here with us, and it's just not fair," Fields told the Review-Journal.

His grandmother, Verdie Marble, described the reservation to KTNV as a small, tight-knit community. "He won't be pushed under the rug like some native stories," she told the station.

A broader concern for Native communities

Marble told the Review-Journal her grandson was "a Native boy, he was a Paiute boy, he was a Mojave boy and he was a Navajo boy." Fawn Douglas, a member of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, said she joined the protest because the issue affects all Native Americans.

The Review-Journal cited Bureau of Indian Affairs figures showing approximately 4,200 unsolved missing and murdered Indigenous person cases nationwide. "This is a big national concern for missing and murdered Indigenous relatives," Douglas said.

How to share information

The family is asking anyone with information about Saganitso's death to come forward. KTNV reported that tips can go to the Moapa River Police Department at 702-865-2828 or be submitted to the FBI. More regional coverage is available in our public safety section.

What to watch next

• The FBI says its investigation remains active and has not released further details.
• Whether the FBI responds to the family's request for a timely investigation and clear, consistent communication.
• Whether people with information come forward to the Moapa River Police Department at 702-865-2828 or to the FBI, as the family has asked.