A Las Vegas court on Wednesday convicted a former Nevada official of the murder of investigative journalist Jeff German.
The jury returned a unanimous verdict of first-degree murder for former Clark County public administrator Robert Telles.
Telles was found guilty of murder with use of a deadly weapon against a victim 60 years old or older. The jury unanimously said the murder was willful, deliberate and premeditated, and committed by means of “lying in wait.”
Over nine days of hearings, the Las Vegas court was told details of the killing of German, a 69-year-old reporter at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. German was found stabbed to death outside his suburban Las Vegas home on Sept. 3, 2022.
During the trial, prosecutors described how Telles was angry with German’s coverage of him. German depicted Telles as a harsh boss who bullied his staff and had an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.
When Telles later lost a reelection bid in 2022, he posted a letter online in which he attacked the Review-Journal for its coverage.
“And he did it because Jeff wasn’t done writing,” prosecutor Christopher Hamner said during closing arguments on Monday. “It’s like connecting the dots.”
Evidence presented against Telles in court included that DNA found beneath German’s fingernails matched that of the former official.
Telles had pleaded not guilty. During his testimony he claimed – without evidence – that he was being framed as part of some vast conspiracy.
His defense attorney Robert Draskovich told the court none of German’s blood or DNA was found on Telles, in his car or at his home. In closing arguments Monday, Draskovich, told the jury, “Ask yourself what is missing.”
Jurors started their deliberations in the case Monday afternoon and returned the verdict Wednesday.
Journalist killings are rare in the United States, and this marks the first time that a current or former U.S. official has been convicted of killing a journalist.
