LAS VEGAS – A jury in Las Vegas ended its second day of deliberations Tuesday in the murder trial of a Democratic former elected official accused of killing an investigative reporter two years ago over stories the politician blamed for destroying his career, ruining his reputation and threatening his marriage.
The panel returns Wednesday morning to decide if Robert Telles, the former county administrator of unclaimed estates, is guilty of ambushing and stabbing reporter Jeff German to death two years ago outside German's home. Jurors have deliberated more than 10 hours since closing arguments on Monday.
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Prosecutor Christopher Hamner told them that finding Telles guilty based on overwhelming evidence they heard during eight days of trial would be "like connecting the dots.”
But Telles' defense attorney, Robert Draskovich, told jurors during his closing to ask themselves, “What evidence is missing?” He presented a surprise image of a person whose profile did not look like Telles' driving a maroon SUV that evidence showed was key to the crime.
Telles lost his Democratic primary for a second elected term after German's stories appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal in May 2022. They described turmoil and bullying at the Clark County Public Administrator/Guardian office and a romantic relationship between Telles and an employee.
Hamner said Telles learned from county officials just hours before German was killed that the reporter was working on another story about that relationship.
Prosecutor Pamela Weckerly presented a timeline and videos of Telles' maroon SUV leaving the neighborhood near his home a little after 9 a.m. on Sept. 2, 2022, and driving on streets near German's home a short time later.
In some photos drawn from security camera video, the SUV driver is seen wearing a bright orange outfit similar to one worn by a person captured on camera walking to German’s home and slipping into a side yard.
“That person stays, lying in wait,” Weckerly said, showing video from a neighbor's home of German walking from his house into the side yard where he was attacked just after 11:15 a.m.
A little more than 2 minutes later, the figure in orange emerges and walks down a sidewalk. German does not reappear.
Evidence showed a text message from Telles' wife about 10:30 a.m. asking, “Where are you?" Hamner and Weckerly told the jury they believe Telles left his cellphone at home so he couldn't be tracked. Telles said he was taking a walk and then went to a gym in the afternoon.
German’s body was found the next day, and DNA believed to be from Telles was found beneath German’s fingernails. Telles was arrested five days later.
Prosecutors maintained that German fought to the death with his attacker. He was 69.
In his testimony, Telles alleged a broad conspiracy of people framed him for German’s killing in retaliation for his effort to root out corruption he saw in his office.
“I didn’t kill Mr. German, and I’m innocent," he told the jury on Friday.
Draskovich noted Monday that none of German’s blood or DNA was found on Telles, in his vehicle or at his home.
Originally from Milwaukee, German was a respected journalist who spent 44 years covering crime, courts and corruption in Las Vegas.
Telles, 47, is an attorney who practiced civil law before he was elected in 2018. His law license was suspended following his arrest. He faces up to life in prison if he's found guilty.
Weckerly and Hamner presented 28 witnesses and hundreds of pages of photos, police reports and video. Telles and five other people testified for the defense. No Telles family members were called to the stand or identified in the trial gallery.
About a dozen German family members have watched the trial. They've declined as a group to comment.
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.