A jury continued their deliberations on Tuesday in the trial of Robert Telles, a former Las Vegas-area Democratic politician accused of murdering investigative journalist Jeff German. Telles, a former county administrator of unclaimed estates, is facing charges of killing German, who prosecutors claim had written articles that damaged Telles’s career, reputation, and marriage, leading to a motive for the crime.
During closing arguments, prosecutor Christopher Hamner alleged that Telles killed German because the journalist was not finished writing damaging stories about him. The jurors, after about four hours of deliberation on Monday, requested assistance to zoom in on laptop video evidence and stayed an hour past the usual court closing time.
In a surprising move during the final arguments, Telles’ defense attorney presented an image showing a silhouette of a person who did not resemble Telles driving a maroon SUV that was crucial to the case. Telles had lost the Democratic primary election following reports by German in the Las Vegas Review-Journal detailing misconduct and an affair with a coworker.
The prosecution laid out a timeline and video evidence showing Telles’s maroon SUV near German’s residence at the time of the crime. They highlighted a video clip of an individual in an orange outfit, similar to one seen in security footage near German’s home, waiting and then walking away after the attack.
Despite Telles denying any involvement and claiming innocence throughout the trial, prosecutors pointed out that Telles’ DNA was found under German’s fingernails, indicating a struggle. A murder weapon was never recovered, and no trace of German’s blood or DNA was found in Telles’ possession.
Jeff German, a well-respected journalist who covered crime and corruption in Las Vegas for over four decades, was the victim in this case. Telles, a 47-year-old attorney whose law license was suspended after his arrest, could face life in prison if found guilty. The trial included testimony from multiple witnesses and the defense presenting additional evidence in an effort to prove Telles’s innocence.
The murder case has attracted significant attention, with German being the sole journalist killed in the U.S. in 2022 according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The trial has drawn German’s family members to the courtroom, while Telles’ relatives were not present during the proceedings.
