Former politician Robert Telles found guilty of murder of Las Vegas journalist

Former Nevada politician Robert Telles was found guilty of murdering a prominent Las Vegas investigative journalist in 2022 for writing unflattering articles about Telles' administration.

The 12-member jury announced its verdict on Wednesday, two days after closing arguments on Monday.

Las Vegas Review-Journal journalist Jeff German, 69, was found stabbed to death outside his home in the Bronze Circle neighborhood of Las Vegas on September 3, 2022, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said at the time.

Telles, 47, who served as Clark County public administrator, was identified as a suspect in the case and arrested on Sept. 7. He is charged with first-degree murder with a deadly weapon.

German had written stories about allegations of bullying and nepotism in Telles' office. He also reported on allegations that Telles had had a romantic relationship with a female employee – which Telles admitted for the first time in court on Thursday.

The politician was apparently angry that German was investigating other reports of possible misconduct, police said.

Telles narrowly lost re-election in the summer of 2022. He was responsible for the estates of Clark County residents who die without legal next of kin. After losing his seat, he criticized German's reporting and the Las Vegas Review Journal on social media.

Telles had pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.

In the trial, which began with opening arguments on August 14, prosecutors said Telles sought revenge for German's reporting on his leadership. Telles, testifying in his own defense, claimed he was framed and that police botched the investigation.

The jury was shown surveillance video showing a person dressed in bright orange clothing and a straw hat entering German's yard and lying in wait. When German opened his garage and entered the side yard, he was attacked and brutally stabbed. Another video shows a person dressed in orange getting into a maroon SUV that resembles a car owned by the Telles family.

When investigators searched Telles' home with a search warrant shortly after German's murder, they found partially destroyed shoes and cut pieces of a straw hat that resembled the suspect's clothing.

Prosecutors had also said that Telles' DNA was found under German's fingernails. When asked about this, Telles said he believed the DNA had been planted.

Prosecutors also presented a text message from Telles' wife that said, “Where are you?” That text came at 10:30 a.m. on September 2, 2022 – the same time surveillance video showed the maroon SUV in German's neighborhood.

Telles protested his innocence on the witness stand.

When asked about the articles German had written, he said, “I wasn't happy about it,” but added, “I don't know if I ever hated him.”

Telles named colleagues in his office, real estate agents and business owners who he claimed framed him for German's killing in retaliation for his alleged efforts to root out corruption when he was a public servant.

However, Telles could not explain how the people he believed had plotted to frame him for the murder were able to plant key evidence in his home.

“You know, the idea that Mr. German's throat was cut and his heart was pierced. … I'm not the type of person that would stab somebody. I did not kill Mr. German,” Telles said. “And that's my statement.”