A jury in Nevada found former county official Robert Telles guilty on Wednesday for the 2022 murder of a Las Vegas journalist who wrote articles that were critical of the former politician.
Jurors deliberated for nearly 12 hours after hearing evidence in the trial that started Aug. 12 connected to the stabbing death of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German, The Associated Press reported. Telles was arrested as the suspect in the case several days after German was found stabbed to death on Labor Day weekend in 2022.
Telles, 47, was sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility at 20 years over the killing of the journalist by the jury later on Wednesday.
Months before his death, German wrote an article describing employees’ experiences with Telles, the former Clark County Public Administrator. He reported on complaints of administrative bullying, showing favoritism and a romantic relationship with another employee in Telles’s office.
Telles lost his June 2022 primary shortly after some of German’s reporting surfaced. Prosecutors made their case to the jurors by emphasizing how German fought his attacker and suggested Telles blamed him for damaging his career, according to AP.
Prosecutor Christopher Hamner emphasized during closing arguments the evidence prosecutors already presented to the jury, including the discovery of DNA underneath German’s fingernails that matched Telles, according to AP. They also showed other evidence, including Telles’s SUV apparently leaving his own house that day and later driving on streets near German’s house.
Telles testified last week that he was innocent and maintained that he did not kill German.
“I didn’t kill Mr. German,” Telles said, according to AP. “When I share an opinion with you, that’s my right. And it’s your right to decide whether or not you agree with my opinion or not, whether you want to doubt my opinion or not. I’m just hoping that I’m not stopped from sharing with you what I have to say.”
Defense attorney Robert Draskovich said that Telles will appeal, according to AP.
The Associated Press contributed.
