The ex-politician accused of murdering a Vegas reporter says he would have won re-election if the victim had not published damaging articles

CNN
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The former Nevada politician accused of stabbing a Las Vegas investigative journalist to death testified Thursday that he would have been re-elected in the primary election for Clark County public administrator if the victim had not published damaging articles about him.

Robert Telles, 47, has pleaded not guilty to murder with use of a deadly weapon in connection with the killing of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German in September 2022.

The defense said Telles was framed for the murder because he wanted to implement changes in his political office that would have angered the “old guard.” Prosecutors claim Telles was angry about German's articles exposing unrest in his political office and hid in disguise outside the reporter's home before stabbing him.

“You believe that if Mr. German had not written those four articles, you would have won the race, right?” asked prosecutor Christopher Hamner on the second day of Telles' testimony. “Yes, I believe that,” Telles replied.

Telles said he hoped to win the primary but was not sure he would and was prepared to return to his work in probate law if he lost. He ultimately finished in third place.

In response, Hamner showed text messages between Telles and a colleague in which the defendant said he was afraid the articles would follow him “for years to come” and jeopardize his career and future.

Although prosecutors questioned Telles about the evidence presented against him by witnesses, he insisted on a conspiracy to frame him for the murder. He testified that German was killed by a professional killer, that DNA matching Telles' was found under the victim's fingernails, and that his phone was hacked to display Google images of German's house.

On the second day of his detailed testimony, Telles said he did not destroy a shoe or hat that matched those of the attacker. However, when asked how this happened, he did not answer.

“I didn't cut up a shoe and hide it under my sofa. I didn't cut up a hat and put it in an open door of my toolbox,” Telles said.

After several objections from the prosecution, which the judge upheld, Telles again protested his innocence.

“I never beat anyone, I never killed anyone. I did not kill Mr. German. That is my statement,” Telles said.

Telles said that on the day of German's murder, he was at home watching television before going for a walk and going to the gym. He showed a phone log of his activities that day and said there was nothing “suspicious” about it.

But the day ended with Hamner pointing out a discrepancy between Telle's phone records and text exchanges on his wife's Apple Watch, which included a message from his wife asking, “Where are you?”

The trial will continue on Friday at 9:30 a.m.

German, 69, wrote about the underbelly of “Sin City” and spent his life covering mobsters, corrupt officials and corrupt government agencies. But prosecutors said his reporting on a little-known office of a Clark County elected official led to his murder.

German had written about allegations of misconduct in the Clark County Public Administrator's office, reporting that Telles had created a hostile work environment and had an inappropriate relationship with a co-worker.

In response to the articles, Telles posted on his campaign website and wrote a letter to German calling the allegations “false” and insisting that German was trying to “drag him through the mud.” In June 2022, Telles lost his bid for re-election in the Democratic primary.

The reporter was found dead in front of his home with numerous stab wounds on September 2, 2022. Just 15 hours before German's murder, Telles had received an email related to a public records request, according to prosecutors.

The indictment states that the murder was “arbitrary, deliberate and premeditated” and/or committed by “ambushing” him.

CNN's Eric Levenson contributed to this report.