Nevada Politician Sentenced to Life for Murder of Investigative Journalist

A former Nevada politician, Robert Telles, has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the first-degree murder of Jeff German, a veteran investigative journalist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The verdict was reached on Wednesday by a jury of 12, who deliberated for two days before delivering their decision. The same jury later sentenced Telles to life imprisonment, with the possibility of parole after serving a minimum of 20 years.

The Murder and Motive

Jeff German, aged 69, was found dead in September 2022, having been stabbed seven times in the neck and torso outside his Nevada home. The murder followed a series of critical articles by German about Telles’s conduct as Clark County public administrator, a role Telles had held since 2018. The articles accused Telles, a Democrat, of maintaining an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and fostering a hostile work environment in his office. Following these revelations, Telles lost his bid for re-election in 2022, further intensifying tensions between the two men.

Prosecutors argued that Telles’s motive for killing German stemmed from anger over the unflattering coverage, which they said damaged his reputation and political career. During the trial, the prosecution presented compelling evidence, including DNA found under German’s fingernails, which they said belonged to Telles. Security footage also captured a man, believed to be Telles, in a large straw hat and sneakers near German’s home shortly before the murder. Further incriminating evidence included remnants of the same clothing found shredded at Telles’s residence.

The Trial and Defense

Telles, who pleaded not guilty, maintained throughout the trial that he had been framed, insisting he had no involvement in German’s death. “This thing has been kind of a nightmare,” Telles stated a week into the trial. “I want to say unequivocally – I’m innocent. I didn’t kill Mr. German.”

The defense argued that the prosecution’s evidence was circumstantial and that items allegedly linking Telles to the crime scene had been planted. They also disputed that German’s articles were a motive strong enough for murder, questioning the reliability of the security footage and the timeline presented by the prosecution. However, the jury found the evidence compelling enough to convict Telles.

The Jury’s Verdict and Sentencing

The jury, composed of seven women and five men, deliberated for approximately 12 hours over two days before reaching a unanimous guilty verdict. As the verdict was read, Telles appeared expressionless, later bowing his head in resignation. The court found the murder to be “willful, deliberate, and premeditated,” as stated by a juror.

During a separate sentencing hearing, Telles received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 20 years. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson praised the jury’s decision, remarking, “The jury hit the ball out of the park this time. They hit a home run by getting the right verdict.”

The Aftermath

Jeff German had been a respected journalist with a career spanning over four decades, known for his hard-hitting stories on corruption and crime in Las Vegas. At the time of his death, he was reportedly working on another story about Telles. Glenn Cook, executive editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, expressed relief over the verdict, stating that the “jury delivered a measure of justice” for German. Cook added, “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.”

Telles’s conviction underscores the ongoing risks faced by journalists worldwide in their pursuit of the truth and the importance of holding those in power accountable.