Victor Saganitso, 20, was found dead outside a cousin's home on the Moapa River Indian Reservation on Oct. 17. The Clark County coroner's office ruled his death a homicide caused by a stab wound to the chest. The reservation, located about 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas, is home to roughly 420 people, including about 30 of Saganitso's relatives.
Moapa River Police Department Chief Kyle Wilson said the FBI is leading the investigation. The department requested FBI assistance shortly after opening the case, noting detectives found reason to believe foul play was involved. An FBI spokesperson confirmed the agency is investigating but declined to say whether an arrest has been made, citing the ongoing investigation.
Family members described Saganitso as a devoted father to his 3-year-old daughter, Alaia, and a generous presence who frequently organized barbecues and cooked for relatives. "He was the light of the room," his sister Roselynn Saganitso said. "He was funny, generous and just an outgoing person." His grandmother, Verdie Marble, recalled he would often bring her a plate of food and ask, "You got everything you need, grandma?"
Marble said she learned of the death while attending the Fort Mojave Indian Days in Needles, California. The family drove to Moapa to find Saganitso still lying in the road, covered from the knees up. "It was a quiet ride home. My aunt and sister, we were just crying all the way home and I was just praying and praying," Marble said.
Roselynn Saganitso said the family is in disbelief and feeling "broken inside." Marble urged anyone with information to contact the FBI. "They just can't believe that he's gone because he should still be here," she said. "This shouldn't have happened."
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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