Trial Of Former Politician Charged With Killing In Las Vegas To Conclude

A jury will hear closing trial arguments on Monday, where a former Las Vegas Democratic politician, Robert Telles, claims evidence linking him to the murder of investigative journalist Jeff German was tainted, planted, or wrong and that he was the victim of a massive conspiracy. 

The jury panel, consisting of seven men and seven women, will decide if they believe Telles stabbed, slashed, and murdered German.

“I’m not trying to avoid responsibility,” 

“I’m not crazy. I’m not trying to avoid responsibility, I didn’t kill Mr. German and I’m innocent.” Said Telles.

Telles is accused of plotting to kill German, a 69-year-old journalist who spent 44 years covering crime, courts, and corruption in Las Vegas. 

German wrote pieces about a county office in disarray under Telles’ leadership, including allegations of a romantic relationship with a female staff member. 

Telles said the claims were real. German was working on a new report regarding the relationship.

Telles, a 47-year-old civil law attorney, lost his 2022 Democratic primary bid for a second term after his law license was suspended following his arrest following the murder of German, and later criticized German and the Review-Journal on social media.

Telles expressed dissatisfaction with the articles and did not express any hatred towards German, stating that he was not unhappy about them.

Telles faces life in prison if he is found guilty

Jurors were attentive to witness Telles’ testimony, who has been in jail for two years. Telles accused office colleagues, real estate brokers, and company owners of framing him for German’s death, claiming it was punishment for his attempts to eradicate corruption. 

He talked straight to the jury in a narrative style, with defense attorney Robert Draskovich absolving him of the burden of leading him through the traditional question-and-answer process. 

Telles added that he is not the type of person who would viciously murder another man before heading to the gym to pick up his children.

Prosecutors Pamela Weckerly and Hamner presented 28 witnesses and hundreds of pages of pictures, police reports, and video to determine Telles’ location when German was killed. Key testimony focused on a text message from Telles’ wife asking “Where are you?” discovered in a police snapshot of her Apple Watch device on September 2, 2022, at around 10:30 a.m. 

Hamner argued that the message had been removed from Telles’ phone, but Matthew Hovanec, a Las Vegas police digital forensics supervisor, testified that there was no way to know.

The killing drew widespread attention

A forensic analyst and psychologist testified that self-inflicted cuts on Telles’ wrists during his arrest should not be interpreted as a sign of guilt, but as a bid to draw sympathy. About 10 German family members sat silently in the courtroom, declining to comment daily.

The killing of investigative journalist Jeff German in the U.S. in 2022 has garnered widespread attention, with the Committee to Protect Journalists reporting that German was the only journalist killed in the country in 2022. Jurors discovered a maroon SUV similar to a Telles family vehicle in German’s residential neighborhood, wearing a bright orange outfit similar to one worn by a person captured walking to German’s home and slipping into a side yard. 

German’s body was found the next day, and Telles’ DNA was found beneath German’s fingernails. Telles believes it was planted, and he expressed his horror at the “ugly” way the 69-year-old journalist was killed.

Telles testified that he did not kill Mr. German and that he did not stab him. The jury heard about cut-up pieces of a straw hat and a gray athletic shoe found at Telles’ house, but the orange shirt and a murder weapon were never found. 

The prosecutor listed several people and entities Telles referred to in his testimony, including a real estate company, detectives, the Clark County district attorney, DNA analysts, and former co-workers. 

Telles said he couldn’t rule out any conspiracy to have German murdered and blame Telles. He acknowledged that he was just the victim and could not rule out who was involved.

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