A former Democrat Clark County, Nevada, public administrator was found guilty on Wednesday of murdering longtime Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German in September of 2022.
After three days of deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict in the trial of 47-year-old Robert Telles, who is now convicted of stabbing German to death after the reporter wrote about scandals within Telles’ office before he lost a primary election in June 2022, CNN reported. German had spent years covering the corruption within Las Vegas politics, but the story that ultimately led to his murder focused on a little-known public office, prosecutors said.
German, who had spent 40 years in journalism, reported in May 2022 that multiple employees who worked with Telles alleged that he created a “hostile work environment.” German’s report also claimed that Telles had an “inappropriate” relationship with a staffer. Telles finished in third place in his 2022 primary election and partly blamed German’s reporting.
Prosecutors said during the trial that surveillance video taken outside of German’s home showed a man wearing a large sunhat, orange jacket, and gray Nike sneakers waiting in the bushes before stabbing the reporter when he got home. The suspect left in a maroon SUV that was later found to belong to Telles. Police also executed a search warrant and found a large sunhat and gray Nike sneakers that were cut up and hidden, according to prosecutors.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Pamela Weckerly said during closing arguments on Monday that Telles “was clearly incredibly upset that those articles were written and that it resulted in him losing that primary.”
Telles testified during the trial and claimed that his former colleagues, a real estate company, and police hired an assassin to kill German and frame him. Telles’ attorney Robert Draskovich did not endorse his client’s theory, saying, “It’s understandable why he believes this wide-reaching conspiracy. What other options does he have under these circumstances?”
The Review-Journal, where German worked before his murder, released a statement following the verdict, saying, “Today a Clark County jury delivered a measure of justice for Jeff German, and we hope it brings some solace to his family, friends and colleagues. Jeff was killed for doing the kind of work in which he took great pride: His reporting held an elected official accountable for bad behavior and empowered voters to choose someone else for the job.”
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