US Politician Handed A Life Sentence For Reporter’s Murder
A former Nevada politician was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of a journalist who wrote critical stories about his tenure in office.
Robert Telles, 47, has been in prison since 2022 for the stabbing of Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative journalist Jeff German.
During the trial, prosecutors presented the jury with DNA evidence discovered under Mr German’s fingernails, which they claimed belonged to Telles, who had pleaded not guilty.
After two days of deliberation, a 12-person jury found the defendant guilty on Wednesday. Several hours later, the same jury convicted Telles to life in prison.
Telles, who was elected Clark County public administrator in 2018, sat blank-faced in court on Wednesday as the judge called the jury in.
He bowed his head as the guilty verdict was announced.
Former Nevada politician Robert Telles has been found guilty of murder in the 2022 death of investigative reporter Jeff German. German, who was found outside his home with multiple stab wounds, had written articles critical of Telles and the Clark County public administrator's… pic.twitter.com/v6K1A4c3d4
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 28, 2024
“The jury unanimously finds the murder willful, deliberate and premeditated,” juror number two told the court.
Telles received a life sentence in a separate hearing later on Wednesday. He is eligible for parole after serving 20 years in prison.
The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for approximately 12 hours, beginning on Monday, before reaching its decision.
The trial had lasted two weeks. Dozens of witnesses testified in court, including detectives, forensic experts, former politicians, and Telles himself.
He claimed that he had been framed.
“This thing has been kind of a nightmare,” he said about a week into the trial. “I want to say unequivocally – I’m innocent. I didn’t kill Mr German.”
Mr German, 69, was discovered in September 2022, having been stabbed seven times in the neck and torso outside his Nevada home.
Prosecutors accused Telles of murdering Mr German over unflattering articles the journalist had written about his behavior as an elected official.
One accuses Telles of having an “inappropriate” relationship with a member of his staff, while others allege hostile behavior in his Las Vegas office.
Telles, a Democrat, lost his primary for a second term as public administrator in 2022 after Mr German’s stories appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal prior to the election.
Security footage recovered by police and shown to the jury showed Mr German’s assailant wearing a large straw hat and sneakers outside the journalist’s home.
Authorities later discovered the remains of similar items at Telles’ home, but they had been cut up.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson spoke to reporters outside the courtroom on Wednesday, congratulating the jury on its decision.
“The jury hit the ball out of the park this time,” he said. “They hit a home run by getting the right verdict.”
Mr German, a veteran journalist, had spent over four decades covering the city and corruption.
He had one more article about Telles to publish when he died.
Glenn Cook, the executive editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, said in a statement that the “jury delivered a measure of justice” to Mr German with its verdict.
“Jeff (German) 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.”
US Politician Handed A Life Sentence For Reporter’s Murder
