Las Vegas police said drug dispute sparked fatal stabbing in September
Las Vegas police said a fatal stabbing in September was the result of a dispute over drugs.
Earlier this month, police obtained an arrest warrant for James Anderson, 48, in connection with the Sept. 27 death of Justin Ryan Sawyer, 33.
Anderson was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Nov. 10. He is being held without bail on one count of murder with a deadly weapon.
According to the nine-page arrest warrant, homicide detectives spent a month investigating Sawyer’s death after he was dropped off wounded and without explanation at Mountain View Hospital.
Anderson was also being treated that day at the hospital for a stab wound to his arm, the warrant said.
Detectives spent a month vetting tips from two confidential informants, determining the scene of the stabbing and investigating Anderson’s stories. The warrant said Anderson gave several different versions of the events leading to Sawyer’s death.
Witnesses interviewed by the police said Anderson and Sawyer fought over a $10 sack of heroin, the warrant said.
Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0391. Follow @WesJuhl on Twitter.
