A Las Vegas politician, Robert Telles, has been jailed for life for killing an investigative journalist who wrote critical articles detailing wrongdoing in the department he headed.
Robert Telles, a former Democratic public administrator, lay in wait outside the suburban home of 69-year-old reporter Jeff German and then stabbed him to death on September 2, 2022.
The jury found the murder was “willful, deliberate and premeditated” and it was carried out by “lying in wait.” Telles shook his head as the verdict was read aloud.
Telles faced three possible sentences with the minimum being 50 years in prison and the maximum being life in prison without parole.
During Wednesday’s penalty phase, German’s siblings spoke about their brother and how his death impacted their lives.
“It was devastating to the family, it really was. We loved him,” said Jay German, who earlier characterized Jeff as the big brother the three siblings “all leaned on.”
Telles’ mother also testified during the penalty phase, turning toward the jury and asking for mercy so her son could get out of prison on parole and be a part of his children’s lives.
Coworkers get a ‘measure of justice’
Las Vegas Review-Journal executive editor Glenn Cook issued a statement praising the verdict, calling it a “measure of justice” for German and for slain journalists everywhere.
“Jeff was killed for doing the kind of work in which he took great pride: His reporting held an elected official accountable for bad behavior and empowered voters to choose someone else for the job,” Cook said.
“Today also brought a measure of justice for slain journalists all over the world. Our jobs are increasingly risky and sometimes dangerous. In many countries, the killers of journalists go unpunished. Not so in Las Vegas. Our thanks to police and prosecutors, whose diligent work won this conviction.
“Let’s also remember that this community has lost much more than a trusted journalist. Jeff was a good man who left behind a family who loved him and friends who cherished him. His murder remains an outrage. He is missed.”
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said the verdict sent a clear message: “Any attempts to silence the media or to silence or intimidate a journalist will not be tolerated.”
