A Las Vegas man is facing a first-degree murder charge after months of disputes between him and his landlord allegedly resulted in a fatal altercation.
Alexander Johnson, 26, was arrested on Wednesday, January 14, after allegedly shooting Kenneth Lehman, 55, last August. At the time, he told police that his landlord — who was also his roommate — had “attacked him and he had to defend himself.”
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, it is policy not to release details of a case when the homicide is being investigated as potential self defense.
During the investigation into the incident, detectives discovered that two days prior to the August 17 shooting, Lehman had been cited for battery after he allegedly “shoved” Johnson. Authorities also discovered a certified letter from Johnson to Lehman regarding an alleged termination of his lease in September.
The 26-year-old was detained and subsequently questioned by local police, during which he claimed his “issues” with Lehman only began earlier that year when the landlord allegedly tried to raise his monthly rent.
“Shortly after the rent increase incident, [Lehman] began demanding Alexander take on more household chores,” legal documents obtained by Las Vegas 8NewsNow read. “[Johnson] felt [Lehman] was ‘harassing’ him by constantly sending text messages asking him to clean up after himself.”
Leham also allegedly cut Johnson’s access to their home’s wi-fi access after receiving a notice from their Internet service provider that accused Johnson of illegally downloading episodes of South Park.
On August 17, 2025, Johnson told police that Lehman deflated his motorcycle tires. That same day, he and Lehman allegedly got into an argument. Johnson claimed Lehman began choking him, which reportedly led to the shooting.
Officer Bob Wicks, who is a spokesperson with the Metropolitan Police Department, said they initially suspected the case was a justified homicide, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.
However, upon searching communications in Johnson’s electronic devices, police determined he may have “misrepresented the facts surrounding his alleged illegal eviction,” per 8NewsNow.
They discovered Lehman had allegedly asked for Johnson to pay rent early because he was unemployed, but there was “no mention of eviction or any form of retaliation if the rent was not paid early.”
Investigators also received the results of DNA tests which determined that Lehman’s hand did not touch anyone else just prior to his death, despite the fact that Johnson claimed he’d choked him. They reportedly found no other sufficient evidence of the alleged choking incident.
It’s suspected that Johnson “exaggerated” his claims to police at the time of the shooting.
According to Nevada state law, murder is defined as “the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought, either express or implied.” In the state of Nevada, those found guilty of first-degree murder could potentially face life in prison or even the death penalty. Influencing factors include if there was premeditation or if there are other mitigating circumstances, including history of abuse or mental health conditions.
Johnson’s next court date is scheduled for Tuesday, January 20.
