A former Las Vegas Democratic politician has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for the murder of a journalist who covered him unfavorably.
Robert Telles, 47, was convicted of the 2022 fatal stabbing of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German, 69.
German was found dead after writing a series of stories about Telles, a former Clark County Public Administrator, including reporting on an alleged affair between him and a staffer.
Telles was arrested after his DNA was found under German’s fingernails. He maintained his innocence throughout his two years in custody and claimed he was framed. He had pleaded not guilty and testified in his own defense.
During the eight-day trial, jurors listened to testimony from dozens of witnesses, detectives, forensic experts, and Telles himself. His attorney, Robert Draskovich told the Review-Journal that the multi-day deliberation was ‘clearly to benefit the defense.’
Robert Telles, 47, has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for the murder of a journalist who covered him unfavorably. He is pictured in August in court
The jury deliberated nearly 12 hours over three days before finding Telles guilty.
Telles’ defense attorney, Robert Draskovich, has said Telles intends to appeal his conviction.
German was a respected reporter who spent 44 years covering crime, courts and corruption in Las Vegas.
Telles lost his primary for a second term in office after German’s stories in May and June 2022 described turmoil and bullying at the Clark County Public Administrator/Guardian office and a romantic relationship between Telles and a female employee. His law license was suspended following his arrest.
German was a respected reporter who spent 44 years covering crime, courts and corruption in Las Vegas
In a 90-minute plea to the jury, Telles said: ‘Unequivocally, I am innocent’
Police sought public help to identify a person captured on neighborhood security video driving a maroon SUV and walking while wearing a broad straw hat that hid his face and an oversized orange long-sleeve shirt.
German had published a series of articles accusing Telles, a father-of-three, of having an affair with staffer Roberta Lee-Kennett, 45, (pictured) and for facilitating a toxic workplace
Prosecutor Pamela Weckerly showed footage of the person wearing orange slipping into the side yard where German was stabbed, slashed and left dead.
At Telles’ house, police found a maroon SUV and cut-up pieces of a straw hat and a gray athletic shoe that looked like those worn by the person seen on neighborhood video. Authorities did not find the orange long-sleeve shirt or a murder weapon.
Telles testified for several rambling hours at his trial, admitting for the first time that reports of the office romance were true.
He denied killing German and said he was ‘framed’ by a broad conspiracy involving a real estate company, police, DNA analysts, former co-workers and others. He told the jury he was victimized for crusading to root out corruption
‘I am not the kind of person who would stab someone. I didn’t kill Mr. German,’ Telles said. ‘And that’s my testimony.’
But evidence against Telles was strong — including his DNA beneath German’s fingernails.
During his testimony, Telles maintained that he was framed in a 90-minute plea to the jury last week, adding that the ordeal had ‘been a nightmare, frankly.’ (Pictured: German (left) and Telles in May 2022)
Surveillance footage showed a suspect wearing gray shoes and a straw hat, which were later found at Telles’ home. Telles claims all the evidence was planted
Prosecutor Christopher Hamner said Telles blamed German for destroying his career, ruining his reputation and threatening his marriage.
Telles told the jury he took a walk and went to a gym at the time German was killed. But evidence showed Telles’ wife sent text messages to him about the same time killed asking, ‘Where are you?’
Prosecutors said Telles left his cellphone at home so he couldn’t be tracked.
German was the only journalist killed in the U.S. in 2022, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. The nonprofit has records of 17 media workers killed in the U.S. since 1992.
Katherine Jacobsen, the U.S., Canada, and Caribbean program coordinator at the committee, said in August that Telles’ conviction sent “an important message that the killing of journalists will not be tolerated.’
