Second day of jury deliberations concluded in trial of former elected official for killing of Las Vegas reporter

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A jury in Las Vegas concluded its second day of deliberations on Tuesday in Murder trial of a former Democratic elected official accused of killing an investigative reporter two years ago over stories the politician blamed for destroying his career, destroying his reputation and threatening his marriage.

The panel will meet again Wednesday morning to decide whether Robert Telles, the county's former unclaimed property administrator, is guilty of ambushing and stabbing reporter Jeff German outside his home two years ago. Jurors have deliberated for more than 10 hours since closing arguments Monday.

Prosecutor Christopher Hamner told them that a guilty verdict against Telles would be like “connecting the dots” based on the overwhelming evidence they heard during the eight-day trial.

But Telles' defense attorney Robert Draskovich, in his closing argument, asked jurors to ask themselves, “What evidence is missing?” He surprisingly presented a picture of a person whose profile did not resemble Telles', driving a maroon SUV that evidence showed played a key role in the crime.

Telles lost his Democratic primary for a second term after German’s stories appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal in May 2022. They described Riots and bullying in the Clark County Public Administrator/Guardian's office and a romantic relationship between Telles and a co-worker.

Hamner said Telles learned from county officials just hours before German's murder that the reporter was working on another story about the relationship.

Prosecutor Pamela Weckerly presented a timeline and videos of Telles' maroon SUV leaving the neighborhood near his home shortly after 9 a.m. on September 2, 2022, and driving on streets near German's home a short time later.

In some photos taken from surveillance camera footage, the driver of the SUV is seen wearing a bright orange outfit similar to that of a person caught on camera walking to German's house and slipping into a side yard.

“This person stays and lurks,” Weckerly said, showing video from a neighbor's home showing German walking from his house into the side yard, where he was attacked shortly after 11:15 a.m.

A little over two minutes later, the figure in orange appears, walking down a sidewalk. German does not reappear.

Evidence showed a text message from Telles' wife at about 10:30 a.m. asking “Where are you?” Hamner and Weckerly told the jury they believed Telles left his phone at home so he couldn't be tracked. Telles said he went for a walk and then went to a gym in the afternoon.

German's body was found the next day, and DNA believed to be Telles' was found under German's fingernails. Telles was arrested five days later.

Prosecutors claimed that German fought to the death with his attacker. He was 69 years old.

In his testimony, Telles claimed that a vast conspiracy framed him for German's assassination in retaliation for his efforts to root out the corruption he had noticed in his office.

“I did not kill Mr. German and I am innocent,” he told the jury on Friday.

Draskovich noted Monday that no blood or DNA from German was found on Telles, in his vehicle or at his home.

German, a native of Milwaukee, was a respected journalist who 44 years of reporting on crime, courts and corruption Vegas

Telles, 47, is a lawyer who practiced civil law before his election in 2018. He was disbarred after his arrest and faces life in prison if found guilty.

Weckerly and Hamner presented 28 witnesses and hundreds of pages of photos, police reports and videos. Telles and five others testified for the defense. No family member of Telles was called to the stand or identified in the courtroom.

About a dozen German family members followed the trial. They declined to comment.

According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, German was the only journalist killed in the United States in 2022. The nonprofit organization has records of 17 media professionals killed in the USA since 1992.