In a shocking revelation, a former Democratic official from Las Vegas, Robert Telles, stands accused of the brutal murder of a seasoned investigative journalist, Jeff German.
The jury was informed on Monday that Telles' cell phone and computer contained hundreds of photographs of the victim's residence and its surroundings. Telles, 47, previously served as the Democratic Clark County administrator of estates. He is now facing charges for the alleged murder of German, a veteran investigative journalist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, in September 2022. This incident occurred just a few months after German had published articles criticizing Telles and his office.
According to Fox News, German, aged 69, was discovered outside his home, brutally slashed and stabbed to death during the Labor Day weekend in 2022. Telles, however, has pleaded not guilty, claiming that he was set up for the crime. The jury was presented with the photographic evidence on Monday as the prosecutors concluded their case, following four days of testimony from over two dozen witnesses.
Among the photos retrieved from Telles' devices was an image of a single gray athletic shoe with a unique black pattern, and a screenshot of Telles' work computer at the Clark County Public Administrator and Guardian office. The screenshot displayed the results of internet searches through a password-protected site that revealed Germans name, home address, vehicle registration, and date of birth. Prosecutor Christopher Hamner highlighted to the jurors that the photo was taken on August 23, 2022, less than two weeks before German was brutally murdered at his home.
Matthew Hovanec, a Las Vegas digital forensics supervisor, testified on Monday about the data extraction process from Telles devices. When asked by Hamner if the image originated from Telles' phone, Hovanec confirmed, "It did." The jury was informed that Telles had searched for Germans home multiple times, nearly 20 days prior to the murder. When asked about the search terms used, Hovanec replied, "Jeff German Las Vegas." He further revealed that there were 132 Google Maps images tagged related to the search.
Telles's defense attorney, Robert Draskovich, questioned Hovanec about the possibility of the phone being hacked. Hovanec acknowledged the possibility but stated he had never personally witnessed such an occurrence.
Detective Justine Gatus, the primary Las Vegas police homicide investigator on German's case, stated that the articles German wrote about Telles and the county office in May and June 2022 were not flattering. Around the same time, Telles had taken to social media to criticize German and denounce the articles as false portrayals of his efforts to combat corruption within a political and social "old guard" real estate network.
Gatus testified that a gray sneaker with a Nike logo and four black marks on the sole, found among Telles' possessions, was identical to one seen in security camera footage from Germans home. The footage showed a figure wearing orange slipping into a side yard of Germans home where German was later found dead.
German, originally from Milwaukee, had spent 44 years cultivating confidential sources within Las Vegas, its government, and its courthouses. He was renowned for his reporting on courts, organized crime, government corruption, political scandals, and mass shootings. His work was first published in the Las Vegas Sun and later in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Telles was apprehended a few days after German's murder when police circulated video footage of an individual wearing an orange work shirt and a wide-brimmed straw hat, carrying a shoulder bag, and walking towards Germans home. Prosecutors claim to have compelling evidence, including DNA believed to be Telles' found under Germans fingernails and cut-up pieces of a straw hat and shoes found at Telles' house that resembled those worn by the person seen on video outside German's home.
Telles, originally from El Paso, Texas, moved to Las Vegas after living in Colorado. He became a lawyer in 2015 and ran as a Democrat in 2018 for the position of Clark County administrator of estates. His arrest led to the loss of his elected position and the suspension of his law license. If found guilty, Telles could face life imprisonment. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, and he has remained in custody while preparing for the trial.
Telles' defense lawyer, Robert Draskovich, informed The Associated Press on Monday that Telles intends to testify and is expected to take the witness stand to conclude his defense case, possibly on Tuesday afternoon.
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