Las Vegas, NV – In a landmark case, former Nevada politician Robert Telles, 47, has been sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder of journalist Jeff German, whose investigative reporting exposed misconduct during Telles’s tenure in office.
Guilty verdict and life sentence
Telles, who had been incarcerated since 2022, was found guilty on Wednesday for the stabbing death of Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative journalist Jeff German. The jury reached their verdict after deliberating for two days, following a two-week trial. DNA evidence found under German’s fingernails linked Telles to the crime, despite his not-guilty plea.
The jury of 12, comprising seven women and five men, reached a unanimous decision, declaring the murder as “willful, deliberate and premeditated.” Telles showed little emotion as the verdict was read, bowing his head in silence. Hours later, the same jury sentenced Telles to life in prison, with eligibility for parole after 20 years.
The trial: Evidence and testimonies
The trial featured testimonies from numerous witnesses, including detectives, forensic experts, acquaintances of Telles, and Telles himself, who claimed he was framed. “This thing has been kind of a nightmare,” he stated during the trial. “I want to say unequivocally – I’m innocent. I didn’t kill Mr. German.”
Jeff German, 69, was found stabbed seven times in the neck and torso outside his Nevada home in September 2022. Prosecutors argued that Telles killed German in retaliation for a series of unflattering articles about his behavior as an elected official. The articles, which included allegations of an “inappropriate” relationship with a staff member and hostile behavior in his office, led to Telles losing his bid for re-election as Clark County public administrator in 2022.
Crucial evidence and defense claims
Security footage shown to the jury depicted German’s assailant wearing a large straw hat and sneakers. Authorities later discovered remnants of similar items at Telles’s home, though they had been destroyed. Prosecutors alleged that Telles was the person in the video, having hidden in the bushes outside German’s house and attempted to dispose of evidence.
Telles’s defense attorneys argued that the evidence found at his home had been planted to frame him and contended that German’s articles did not provide a motive for murder. However, prosecutors presented compelling DNA evidence, a timeline, and video footage showing Telles’s SUV near German’s home just before the murder. The driver’s attire matched the outfit seen in the security footage.
Reactions and statements
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson praised the jury’s decision, stating, “The jury hit the ball out of the park this time. They hit a home run by getting the right verdict.”
Jeff German, a veteran reporter with over four decades of experience covering Las Vegas and its corruption, had one more article about Telles to publish at the time of his death. Glenn Cook, executive editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, issued a statement acknowledging the jury’s 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.”
The conviction and life sentence of Robert Telles mark a significant moment in the fight for journalistic integrity and the protection of reporters who hold public officials accountable. The case serves as a somber reminder of the risks journalists face in their pursuit of the truth.