Las Vegas man charged with murder after friend suffered fatal fentanyl overdose | Homicide

A Las Vegas man accused of selling fentanyl to a friend who died of an overdose in May has been charged with first-degree murder.

James McGuire told a police officer he sold blue pills that looked “weird” to Alex Robertson – after the officer told McGuire that authorities had seen text messages between McGuire and Robertson about drug prices, according to McGuire's arrest report.

McGuire's former fiancée found blue pills labeled “M” and “30” at the scene of McGuire's death, the report said.

The report found that “there are many counterfeit pills containing fentanyl that are almost identical to actual prescription drugs” and that most “of these counterfeit pills resemble blue oxycodone pills” and are labeled “M” and “30.”

McGuire referred to the pills he sold to Robertson as “30s,” according to the report. The police report also states that “fentanyl was the direct cause of death” of Robertson.

Notes on telephone data

On May 27, the Metropolitan Police Department was called to a residence in Clark County for a report of a dead person. Medical personnel who arrived before officers suspected the person had died of an overdose, according to the arrest report.

The deceased Robertson's former fiancée told authorities “she knew who the deceased's fentanyl dealer was,” the police report states. According to the report, the woman said McGuire was the dealer and that she had previously gone with Robertson to buy fentanyl from McGuire's home.

On June 7, Robertson's birthday, McGuire texted his former fiancée to express his condolences, the report said.

On May 29, Metro officials met with Robertson's son. The son gave authorities Robertson's phone number and phone password, the report said.

Messages between Robertson and McGuire reproduced in the police report, as well as location data from Robertson's phone, suggest that Robertson may have purchased drugs at McGuire's home the day before his death.

Metro arrested McGuire on August 9. According to a criminal complaint, McGuire was charged with first-degree murder and sale of a controlled substance.

McGuire has posted bail and is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 8, according to Las Vegas Justice Court records.

Contact Peter Breen at [email protected]. Follow @breenreports on X.