After nearly 12 hours of deliberation, a Las Vegas jury on Wednesday found former Clark County public administrator Robert Telles guilty of the murder of veteran journalist Jeff German.
Telles was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years.
Telles was arrested on Sept. 7, 2022, five days after a neighbor found German’s body outside his Las Vegas home. The 69-year-old victim, who was an investigative reporter for over 40 years, had suffered multiple stab wounds.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police were able to locate surveillance video of a possible suspect from a nearby home’s security camera. A person in a large straw sun hat and orange safety jacket was spotted walking to and from German’s house. Police also spotted a maroon Yukon Denali as the possible suspect’s vehicle. According to Telles’ arrest report, an SUV of that make, model and color was registered to Telles’ wife.
Investigators obtained a warrant to search Telles’ home and car, along with permission to take a DNA sample. Prosecutors say a straw hat that had been cut into pieces was found in Telles’ home, along with a bloody sneaker that resembled the suspect’s footwear. Telles’ DNA was reportedly found under the victim’s fingernails.
Prosecutors believe Telles, now 47, killed German because he was upset over articles German wrote for the Las Vegas Review-Journal about Telles’ alleged inappropriate relationship with a female staffer. Other Telles staffers also came forward to tell German about their hostile work environment, which he detailed in his reporting. Telles also lost the next election, which prosecutors point to as an additional motive.
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Telles pleaded not guilty to open murder. He maintains he was framed, and that evidence against him was planted by police and prosecutors.
Telles has been held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center since his arrest nearly two years ago.
This story was originally published by Katie McLaughlin and Grace Wong at CourtTV.
