The jury in the trial of Robert Telles found the former Clark County, Nevada, elected official guilty of murder in the death of investigative reporter Jeff German on Wednesday.
Several hours later, the jury sentenced Telles to life in prison, with the chance of being eligible for parole after 20 years.
German was a longtime Las Vegas journalist who had written articles critical of Telles and the Clark County public administrator’s office.
Testimony from 28 prosecution witnesses and six defense witnesses, including Telles himself, concluded Friday.
He testified that he was being “framed” by people involved in an alleged scheme, accusing office colleagues, real estate agents, business owners and police.
I’m not trying to avoid responsibility,” Telles told the jury on Friday.
Telles lost his Democratic primary for a second elected term after German’s stories about him appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal in May 2022.
The reports described turmoil and bullying at the Clark County Public Administrator/Guardian office and a romantic relationship between Telles and a female employee.
Telles “did it because Jeff wasn’t done writing,” prosecutor Christopher Hamner said during closing arguments on Monday.
The day before German was stabbed to death, Telles learned that county officials were about to provide German with email and text messages that Telles and the woman shared, in response to the reporter’s request for public records.
Robert Telles was found guilty of murder on Wednesday by the jury in his trial. German was an investigative reporter. Telles was a former elected official of Clark County, Nevada.
The jury deliberated for nine days, reaching a decision on Wednesday. A few hours later, Telles was given a life sentence by the jury, with the possibility of release after 20 years.
German was found outside of his home in 2022 with multiple stab wounds. Telles, 47, was charged with first-degree murder with a deadly weapon against a victim 60 years of age or older, but he entered a not guilty plea. German, a longstanding journalist in Las Vegas, had written pieces disparaging Telles and the Clark County public administrator’s office.
The testimony of six defense witnesses—including Telles—and 28 prosecution witnesses came to an end on Friday. He testified that police, real estate brokers, business owners, and coworkers were “framing” him as part of an alleged conspiracy. Retaliation, he claimed, for his relentless efforts to expose corruption in his office, which employed eight people to handle probate property cases.
“I’m not insane. Telles said to the jury on Friday, “I’m not attempting to avoid responsibility. “I’m innocent and I didn’t kill Mr. German.”. “.”.
Telles’s stories about him in the Las Vegas Review-Journal by Germans cost him the Democratic primary for a second elected term in May 2022. A romantic relationship between Telles and a female employee was reported, along with unrest and bullying at the Clark County Public Administrator/Guardian office.
On Monday during closing arguments, prosecutor Christopher Hamner stated that Telles “did it because Jeff wasn’t done writing.”. Like joining the .s, that is. ****.
In response to the reporter’s request for public records, Telles discovered the day before German was fatally stabbed that German would soon receive access to Telles’ and the woman’s exchanged emails and texts from county officials.
Robert Draskovich, the defense attorney, asked the jury on Monday to “Ask yourself what is missing” after claiming that neither German’s blood nor DNA was discovered on Telles, in his car, or at his residence. “.
German’s fingernails were found to contain Telles’ DNA.
During the closing arguments, Draskovich also showed the jury a surprise image—a piece of prosecution evidence not previously shown to the jury—of a non-Telles-like silhouette driving a maroon SUV that the evidence indicated was crucial to the crime.
The jury stayed an hour past the customary 5 p.m. on Monday after sending the judge a note late on Monday asking for a court technician to demonstrate how to zoom in on laptop video while in the jury room. m. Court closes at this time.
