Michael Rodney Reiger, a 48-year-old White male from Las Vegas, Nevada, died late on April 26, 2017, after a confrontation at a central Las Vegas apartment complex turned violent. The incident happened around 11:45 p.m. at an apartment complex on O’Bannon Drive, near West Sahara Avenue and South Decatur Boulevard. When police arrived, they found Reiger dead outside in a landscaped area of the property.
Another man, described in reports as being in his 50s, had also been wounded and was expected to survive.
The violence appeared to grow out of a brawl between two groups. Reiger and the wounded man had reportedly arrived at the complex with several men and women, and that group became involved in a fight with at least two people who lived there. Investigators said they did not believe the killing was gang-related. Police also said there appeared to be a history of drug use among some of the people involved, but the confrontation was not believed to have started as a drug deal. What began as a fight soon escalated into a deadly attack.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office identified Reiger and determined that he died from multiple gunshot wounds. His death was ruled a homicide. As police continued working the case, the investigation pointed to more than one alleged attacker. Nathan Ivey, then 19, was arrested on May 2, 2017, in connection with the killing after police said witnesses identified him as the gunman through a photo lineup. He was initially booked on a murder charge with use of a deadly weapon.
A second suspect, Cory Nixon, then 23, was arrested several months later. Police reports described Nixon as having used a tire repair tool resembling an ice pick to stab Reiger and the other wounded man during the fight. Nixon was booked on charges that included murder, attempted murder with a deadly weapon, and battery with use of a deadly weapon. His alleged role added another layer to the case, showing investigators believed Reiger’s death came during a chaotic group confrontation involving both gunfire and stabbing.
For his part, Nathan Ivey was ultimately sentenced on reduced offenses, including voluntary manslaughter with use of a deadly weapon and battery with use of a deadly weapon. He was released from custody in June 2025. Publicly available reports identify Ivey and Nixon as the suspects arrested in connection with Reiger’s death, with Nixon tied to the stabbing allegations during the same fatal brawl.
