A jury has sentenced Robert Telles, a former Nevada politician found guilty of fatally stabbing a Las Vegas investigative reporter, to life in prison with eligibility of parole after a minimum of 20 years.
Telles, a 47-year-old former Clark County public administrator, was convicted in the September 2022 death of Jeff German, a longtime Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter in a trial that highlighted concerns around press safety.
Telles faced three possible sentences with the minimum being 50 years in prison and the maximum being life in prison without parole.
During Wednesday’s penalty phase, German’s siblings spoke about their brother and how his death impacted their lives.
Prosecutors alleged Telles killed German because he was angry about the reporter’s articles and was concerned about another upcoming article.
Telles wore a disguise – including a large sun hat – and hid outside the reporter’s home before fatally stabbing him, prosecutors said.
I didn’t kill Mr. German,” Telles testified.
Further, DNA from under German’s fingernails was consistent with Telles’ DNA, prosecutors said.
Investigators also examined Telles’ phone and found images from Google Maps of German’s house, prosecutors said.
At closing arguments Monday, Chief Deputy District Attorney Pamela Weckerly summarized the evidence again and showed Telles’ texts criticizing German’s articles.
Robert Telles, a former politician from Nevada, was found guilty by a jury of fatally stabbing a Las Vegas investigative reporter. Telles was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after serving at least 20 years.
In a trial that raised questions about press safety, Telles, a 47-year-old former public administrator for Clark County, was found guilty in September 2022 of killing longtime Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German. The jury determined that the killing was “willful, deliberate, and premeditated,” and that “lying in wait” was the method used to carry it out. As the decision was announced, Telles shook his head.
Telles could have received one of three sentences: a minimum of 50 years in jail or a maximum of life without the possibility of release.
German’s siblings talked about their brother and how his passing affected their lives on Wednesday during the penalty phase.
“The family truly suffered greatly from it. Jay German, who had earlier described Jeff as the big brother the three siblings “all leaned on,” said, “We loved him.”. “.
In her testimony during the sentencing phase, Telles’ mother turned to face the jury and begged for forgiveness so her son could be released on parole and spend time with his kids.
A “measure of justice” is granted to coworkers.
Executive editor Glenn Cook of the Las Vegas Review-Journal praised the decision in a statement, referring to it as a “measure of justice” for German and all murdered journalists worldwide.
Cook said, “Jeff was killed for doing the kind of work in which he took great pride: His reporting empowered voters to choose someone else for the job and held an elected official accountable for bad behavior.”.
In addition, today brought some justice for all of the murdered journalists worldwide. Our jobs are getting riskier and occasionally even dangerous. Journalist murderers rarely face justice in many nations. Not in Las Vegas, that is. We express our gratitude to the police and prosecutors for their hard work in securing this conviction.
Furthermore, keep in mind that this community has lost much more than just a reliable journalist. Jeff was a kind man who was loved by his friends and family. The killing of him is still shocking. We miss him. “.
The decision, according to Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, sent a strong message that any attempt to intimidate or silence a journalist or the media will not be accepted. “.
German authors discussed corruption.
About two years after the murder, which raised questions about violence against journalists even in the US, the Clark County trial has taken place. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, there have been 14 journalist deaths in the US since 1992.
German,69, had an ink-stained life covering mobsters, dishonest officials, and corrupt government agencies. He wrote about the underbelly of “Sin City.”. However, the prosecution claimed that the murder was caused by his reporting on a little-known office headed by an elected county official.
German had written about misconduct claims made against Telles in the Clark County Public Administrator’s office, stating that Telles had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and fostered a hostile work environment. Telles’ bid for reelection in a Democratic primary in June 2022 was unsuccessful, in part due to those articles.
September 2, 2022, found the reporter dead from stab wounds outside his house.
According to the prosecution, Telles killed German because he was upset about the reporter’s articles and worried about one more that was coming out. Prosecutors claimed that Telles killed the reporter by stabbing him to death while mask-wearing, which included a big sun hat.
The prosecution called about twenty witnesses, and they used video and tangible evidence—such as DNA from under German’s fingernails and a maroon car that was present at the scene—to link Telles to the suspect’s disguise.
In Monday’s rebuttal arguments, prosecutor Christopher Hamner stated, “He murdered him because Jeff’s writing destroyed his career, his reputation, it probably threatened his marriage, and it exposed things that even he admitted he did not want the public to know.”. Jeff wasn’t done writing, so he did it. “.
Conversely, the defense contended that Telles was set up for the murder because he was attempting to make political office changes that would have offended the “Old Guard.”. During the trial, Telles testified in his own defense, denying any wrongdoing and laying out a plot in which he claimed a real estate company had hired an assassin to harm the reporter and then frame him.
I want to state that I am innocent without any ambiguity. Telles said in court, “I didn’t kill Mr. German.
The jury’s deliberations in the case started on Monday, roughly two weeks ago.
events during the trial.
A large sunhat, an orange jacket, gray Nike sneakers, and a maroon SUV were among the suspects seen on surveillance footage from German’s neighborhood on the day of the killing that was used in the prosecution’s case. As the reporter was about to return home, the suspect hid in the bushes by German’s house, fatally stabbed him, and then left him to die, according to the prosecution.
Prosecutors said that Telles owned the maroon SUV and was later seen washing it in front of his home. Prosecutors claim that during a search warrant executed at Telles’ residence, police discovered a large sunhat and gray Nike sneakers that had been broken into pieces and concealed.
Prosecutors added that the DNA found beneath German’s fingernails matched Telles’ DNA. According to the prosecution, when investigators looked through Telles’ phone, they discovered pictures of German’s home on Google Maps.
Pamela Weckerly, the chief deputy district attorney, presented Telles’ texts scrutinizing German’s articles and restated the evidence during Monday’s closing arguments.
Weckerly stated, “It was evidently very upsetting for him that those articles were written and that it caused him to lose there.”.
Defense lawyer Robert Draskovich centered his defense on questioning the caliber of the investigation and claiming insufficient evidence. He questioned the damage to the hat and shoes and said that investigators did not find German blood on any of Telles’ belongings.
Telles, a lawyer by training, took the stand and testified in a narrative fashion, meaning he did not answer questions from his own legal representative. He presented a theory explaining how a real estate firm, his coworkers in the office, the police, the DNA lab, and the prosecutors all conspired to hire an assassin to murder German and then frame him.
“I didn’t rip a shoe apart and tuck it under my couch. I refrained from chopping up a hat and stashing it behind an open toolbox door. He said, “I did not kill Mr. German.”.
Telles claimed that he was watching TV at home the day of the murder before going for a walk and then to the gym. He claimed there was nothing “suspicious” about the phone log he had kept of his activities that day.
However, prosecutor Christopher Hamner brought up an inconsistent text exchange between Telles’ phone records and his wife’s Apple Watch, revealing a message from her asking, “Where are you?” during a heated cross-examination.
Although he understood his client’s perspective, Telles’ own attorney did not entirely support Telles’ conspiracy theory during the closing arguments.
Draskovich remarked, “It makes sense why he thinks this extensive conspiracy.”. “In this situation, what other options does he have?”.
Nevertheless, Hamner ridiculed the plot and told the jury up front that “it didn’t make sense” in the prosecution’s rebuttal. “.
It does, however, offer you a glimpse into his thoughts. Mr. Telles thinks of himself as that important. Hamner stated, “That each and every one of these individuals, these entities, were willing to kill a human being—someone who is not him—just to frame him. “Is that reasonable? More importantly, where is the proof to back that up?”.
Further details have been added to this story.
