By Andrew Hay
(Reuters) -A Las Vegas, Nevada jury on Wednesday found a former elected county official guilty of killing an investigative reporter who wrote articles critical of him, a case that highlighted rising threats to journalists in the U.S.
Robert Telles, former Clark County public administrator, was convicted of murder with a deadly weapon after more than 10 hours of deliberation. Prosecutors accused him of stabbing reporter Jeff German, 69, to death outside German’s home on Sept. 2, 2022.
“He took the life of an individual who was simply doing his job,” said county prosecutor Christopher Hamner in closing arguments to the two-week trial.
The state’s evidence included Telles’ DNA found underneath German’s fingernails and video of the attacker’s car that matched a vehicle registered to Telles’ wife.
The former official, a Democrat, told the court he was set up after trying to expose an alleged kickback scheme tied to a real estate company.
In cross examination, county prosecutor Christopher Hamner asked Telles how images of German’s house got on his phone, how a shoe identical to that worn by the killer ended up under his couch, and how his DNA got on German.
Telles, 47, said the evidence was planted in a conspiracy by colleagues, a real estate company, police and possibly the county’s district attorney to murder German and frame Telles for the killing.
Over two days of cross examination, when challenged on his testimony, Telles repeatedly said he was innocent and did not kill German.
The journalist spent months reporting on complaints that Telles had an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate and oversaw an abusive workplace.
Soon after one of German’s stories was published, Telles failed in his June 2022 re-election bid, losing in a Democratic primary to a rival from within his office.
Mobile phone messages show Telles said he was “distraught” after the loss. Roberta Lee-Kennett, the office colleague Telles had an affair with, testified that Telles “hated” German. Telles denied that in court.
German continued to investigate Telles until he was murdered.
He was well known in Las Vegas for decades of reporting on government corruption and organized crime in Nevada’s largest city.
German was the only journalist murdered in the U.S. in 2022 among 69 media workers and journalists killed worldwide, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a press rights group.
The U.S. dropped 10 places to 55th place in a 2024 ranking on journalist safety, according to the World Press Freedom Index published by advocacy group Reporters Without Borders.
The study cited shrinking public trust in the media and antagonism from political officials as factors in the decline.
(Reporting By Andrew Hay; Editing by David Gregorio)
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