Robert Telles was found guilty on Wednesday of killing a Las Vegas investigative journalist who had authored unflattering accounts about him.
A jury of 12 deliberated for over 11 hours before finding the former Las Vegas-area Democratic politician guilty of killing Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German.
“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,” Las Vegas Review-Journal Executive Editor Glenn Cook said in a statement for the outlet. “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.”
In May 2022, Telles lost his Democratic primary battle to keep his job as Clark County’s administrator of unclaimed estates. The defeat came after German published a scathing report alleging Telles was conducting an inappropriate affair with a female co-worker and that his office was in turmoil.
German was found stabbed to death in September 2022. Prosecutors argued Telles held a grudge against German for writing reports that hurt his career.
“This thing has been kind of a nightmare. I want to say unequivocally: I’m innocent. I didn’t kill Mr. German,” Telles said as he took the stand in his own defense last week. The former Las Vegas politician argued he was being framed, saying that a real estate company he shared a fractured relationship with was waging vengeance on him.
However, he admitted during his testimony that he was afraid German’s allegations would prevent him from working as a lawyer in Las Vegas.
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Telles’s DNA was reportedly found under German’s nails. The lead prosecutor in the case, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, called Telles’s argument “ludicrous.”
“Any attempts to silence the media or to silence or intimidate a journalist will not be tolerated,” he said on Wednesday.
