A former elected official was convicted Wednesday in the murder of a Las Vegas reporter who had written disparaging stories about him.
Former Clark County public administrator Robert Telles, 47, was convicted in the September 2022 stabbing death of Jeff German, 69, a reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, CNN reported.
German had written articles saying that Telles “created a hostile work environment and carried on an inappropriate relationship with a staffer,” the news outlet reported. As a result, Telles lost a Democratic primary race in June of 2022.
Investigators testified that Telles hid in the bushes outside German’s house wearing a large straw hat and sneakers, waiting for the victim before stabbing him to death, the New York Times reported.
Matching items were found at the suspect’s home, “though the hat and sneakers had been chopped up,” according to the report.
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The prosecution’s evidence included Telles’ DNA found on German’s body and surveillance video that showed a car like Telles’ vehicle traveling between German’s neighborhood and Telles’ home.
Telles spent hours on the witness stand testifying on his own behalf, the Times reported.
“This thing has been kind of a nightmare,” he told the jury. “I want to say unequivocally: I’m innocent. I didn’t kill Mr. German.”
During his testimony, he claimed to have been framed for the murder “by officials and a disgruntled real estate company,” the Review-Journal reported.
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German’s former coworkers gathered around an editor’s desk to watch the TV broadcast of the reading of the verdict, according to a local reporter’s account.
BREAKING: Robert Telles, the former elected Clark County Public Administrator, was found guilty Wednesday of murdering Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German.
UPDATES: https://t.co/Mp5kCzdZka pic.twitter.com/36Fopw9w5p— Las Vegas Review-Journal (@reviewjournal) August 28, 2024
“Executive Editor Glenn Cook stood and hugged staff, some wiping tears from their eyes,” the Review-Journal reported.
Cook released a statement that said, “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.
“Robert Telles could have joined the long line of publicly shamed Nevada politicians who’ve gone on with their lives, out of the spotlight or back in it. Instead, he carried out a premeditated revenge killing with terrifying savagery.”
The jury will hear additional evidence during the penalty phase of the trial, The Associated Press reported.
Telles faces life imprisonment, but will not face execution, as prosecutors opted not to seek the death penalty.
