A former politician from Nevada has been convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the death of a journalist who published critical articles regarding his tenure in office.
Robert Telles, 47, has been incarcerated since 2022 for the stabbing of Jeff German, an investigative journalist with the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
During the trial, prosecutors presented DNA evidence discovered under Mr. German's fingernails, which they claimed matched Telles, who maintained his innocence.
On Wednesday, a jury of 12 reached a guilty verdict after two days of deliberation.
Telles, who served as Clark County public administrator after being elected in 2018, displayed a blank expression in court as the jury was summoned.
He lowered his head when the verdict was announced.
Telles is now awaiting sentencing and could potentially face a life sentence.
The jury, consisting of seven women and five men, deliberated for approximately 12 hours starting on Monday before arriving at their decision.
The trial lasted two weeks and included testimony from numerous witnesses, including detectives, forensic specialists, acquaintances of Telles, and Telles himself, who claimed he was framed.
“This has been a nightmare,” he stated about a week into the proceedings. “I want to assert clearly that I am innocent.
I did not kill Mr. German." In September 2022, Mr. German, 69, was discovered after suffering seven stab wounds to his neck and torso outside his home in Nevada.
Prosecutors alleged that Telles murdered Mr. German in retaliation for unflattering articles that the journalist had written about his conduct as an elected official, including claims of an “inappropriate” relationship with a staff member and reports of aggressive behavior in his Las Vegas office.
Following the publication of German's articles in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Telles lost his primary election for a second term as public administrator in 2022.
Security footage retrieved by law enforcement and presented to the jury captured Mr. German's attacker donning a large straw hat and sneakers outside the journalist's residence. Subsequent investigations led authorities to discover remnants of similar items at Telles's home, albeit in a mutilated state.
The prosecution contended that Telles was the individual featured in the security footage, asserting that he concealed himself in the bushes near Mr. German's home before attempting to eliminate evidence.
In contrast, Telles's defense team claimed that the torn evidence had been planted at their client's residence as part of a scheme to incriminate him.
They argued that Mr. German's articles did not constitute a motive for murder. However, prosecutors presented DNA evidence, a timeline, and video footage of Telles's SUV traversing the streets adjacent to Mr. German's home shortly before the murder occurred.
The driver of the vehicle was seen wearing an outfit resembling that of the individual captured in the security footage.
Outside the courtroom on Wednesday, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson expressed his satisfaction with the jury's verdict. “The jury hit the ball out of the park this time,” he remarked. “They hit a home run by reaching the correct conclusion.” A seasoned journalist, Mr. German had dedicated over four decades to reporting on the city and its corruption.
At the time of his death, he was preparing to publish one final article about Telles. Glenn Cook, the executive editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, released a statement indicating that the "jury delivered a measure of justice" for Mr. German through its verdict. “Jeff (German) was killed for doing the kind of work in which he took great pride: His reporting held an elected official accountable for misconduct and empowered voters to make informed choices.”