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Closing arguments in trial of Las Vegas Democratic politician accused of murdering journalist
Closing arguments are made in the trial of a Las Vegas Democratic politician accused of murdering an investigative journalist. (Credit: The Associated Press)
A former Las Vegas-area Democratic politician convicted of killing an investigative journalist who had written critical stories about him is set to learn Wednesday how long he will spend in prison before he is eligible for parole.
Robert Telles, who was found guilty of ambushing and killing Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German outside German’s home during Labor Day weekend in 2022, is expected to speak at the sentencing hearing, a source tells Fox5 Vegas.
German, 69, spent 44 years covering crime, courts and corruption in Las Vegas. At the time of German’s death, Telles was the elected administrator of a Clark County office that handles unclaimed estate and probate property cases.
A jury in August set Telles’ sentence at 20 years to life, and a judge on Wednesday can invoke several sentencing enhancements to make the minimum up to 28 years before Telles, 47, becomes eligible for parole.
TELLES’ OWN TESTIMONY UNDERMINED HIS DEFENSE IN JOURNALIST’S MURDER CASE, JUROR SAYS
Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles, right, talks to Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German in his Las Vegas office on May 11, 2022. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)
Telles lost his primary for a second term in office after German’s stories in May and June 2022 described turmoil at the Clark County Public Administrator/Guardian office.
In one of them, German wrote that “a half-dozen current and former employees interviewed by the Review-Journal are alleging the hostile work environment was fueled by the elected administrator of the office, Robert Telles, carrying on an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with a staffer that has harmed the office’s ability to deal with the public in overseeing the estates of those who have died.”
Prosecutor Christopher Hamner said during closing arguments of the murder trial that German wasn’t finished in his work of exposing Telles, which ultimately led the politician to taking out the veteran journalist.
“And he did it because Jeff wasn’t done writing,” Hamner said. “It’s like connecting the dots. He murdered him because Jeff’s writing destroyed his career. It destroyed his reputation. It threatened probably his marriage. Exposed things that even he admitted he did not want the public to know.”
TELLES HAD HUNDREDS OF PHOTOS OF GERMAN’S HOME AND NEIGHBORHOOD, JURY IS TOLD
Prosecutor Christopher Hamner, top right, said during the trial that Telles, left, murdered German “because Jeff’s writing destroyed his career.” (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Pool, main and top right, Elizabeth Brumley/Las Vegas Review-Journal via Getty.)
Telles testified for several hours at his trial, admitting for the first time that reports of the office romance were true, according to The Associated Press. He denied killing German and said he was “framed” by a broad conspiracy involving a real estate company, police, DNA analysts, former co-workers and others. He also told the jury he was victimized for crusading to root out corruption.
However, the evidence included Telles’ DNA being found beneath German’s fingernails.
Clark County District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt can add up to eight years to Telles’ sentence for using a deadly weapon in a willful, deliberate, premeditated killing; because German was older than 60 years old; and for lying in wait before the attack.
Robert Telles listens to closing arguments during his murder trial at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, on Aug. 26. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal/AP)
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Telles’ attorney, Robert Draskovich, has said Telles intends to appeal his conviction.
Fox News’ Michael Dorgan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.