Former Politician Found Guilty of Murdering Journalist

A jury in Nevada has found a Democratic former Las Vegas-area politician guilty of murder in the killing of an investigative journalist who wrote articles critical of his conduct in elected office.

Robert Telles faces life in prison without parole, life with parole eligibility at 20 years, or 20 to 50 years in prison.

Telles, 47, has been jailed without bail since his arrest several days after Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German was found stabbed to death in a side yard of his home over Labor Day weekend 2022.

Jurors will now hear evidence in the penalty phase of the trial before deciding Telles’ sentence.

Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty for Telles. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson stated that neither Telles’ position as an elected official nor German’s role as an investigative reporter were deciding factors in this decision.

Telles maintains his innocence, claiming that he was framed by a conspiracy of people seeking revenge for his efforts to expose corruption.

During the trial, DNA evidence matching Telles was found beneath German’s fingernails, leading the prosecution to argue that Telles had a motive for the murder.

German, a respected journalist who covered crime, courts, and corruption in Las Vegas, was the only journalist killed in the U.S. in 2022, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Telles, who practiced civil law before his arrest, now awaits his sentencing as the trial continues.