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By Rachel Dobkin
Weekend Reporter
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Former Nevada politician Robert Telles was found guilty on Wednesday of murdering Las Vegas investigative reporter Jeff German in 2022.
German, a 69-year-old reporter known for his in-depth investigations into corruption, organized crime and government scandals, was brutally killed over Labor Day weekend in 2022.
He was found stabbed to death outside his home with evidence suggesting that Telles, who was serving as the Clark County Public Administrator at the time, had allegedly targeted German in retaliation for a series of articles that exposed turmoil in Telles' office.
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Telles was arrested days after German was found following the release of surveillance footage and images that allegedly linked him to the crime scene.
The ex-politician maintains his innocence, claiming that people framed him for German's murder in retaliation for his effort to root out alleged corruption in his office.
"I am not the kind of person who would stab someone. I didn't kill Mr. German," he testified during trial.
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Telles, now 47, could face life in prison without parole, life with parole eligibility at 20 years or 20 to 50 years in prison following his murder conviction, which was decided by a Nevada jury after eight days of trial, beginning on August 12. A conviction for the use of a deadly weapon would add one to eight years to his sentence.
The jury now has to hear evidence on the penalty phase of the trial before deciding Telles' prison sentence.
Telles, a Democrat, took office as Clark County Public Administrator in Nevada in 2019. Prior to his election, Telles was the founder of a Las Vegas law firm. His law license was suspended after his arrest.
What Was Telles and German's Relationship?
German joined the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2010, and before his death, he had written stories about Telles that alleged wrongdoing by the politician.
In his stories, German accused Telles of creating a hostile environment in his office, writing that the Clark County Public Administrator's office had been "mired in turmoil and internal dissension over the past two years, with allegations of emotional stress, bullying and favoritism leading to secret videotaping of the boss and a co-worker outside the office."
He also accused Telles of carrying on an inappropriate relationship with a staffer and favoring her status. Telles denied any wrongdoing, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Telles lost his primary election for a second term after German's stories about him were published in May and June 2022.
What Evidence Did Prosecutors Have Against Telles?
Prosecutor Christopher Hamner said that Telles learned from country officials that German was working on another story about the politician's alleged inappropriate relationship with a staffer just hours before the reporter was murdered.
Prosecutors showed videos allegedly of Telles' maroon SUV leaving the neighborhood near German's home a little after 9 a.m. local time on September 2, 2022, and driving on the streets by the reporter's house a short time later.
The driver of the SUV is seen wearing a bright orange outfit like the one worn by a person caught on camera walking to German's home and into a side yard where German was killed shortly after 11:15 a.m. that day. Minutes later, the person in orange is caught on camera walking down a sidewalk, but German does not reappear.
Telles told the jury that he took a walk and then went to a gym in the afternoon on the day of German's murder. The ex-politician's lawyer, Robert Draskovich, meanwhile, showed the jury a photo of a person whose profile didn't look like Telles' driving a maroon SUV and noted that none of German's blood or DNA was found on Telles, in his vehicle or at his home.
However, there was evidence presented at trial of DNA that matched Telles found under German's fingernails.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
Update 8/28/24, 4:00 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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