When asked during cross-examination about whether he would have won his June 2022 primary if #JeffGerman had not written the articles, #Telles responded: “Probably, yes.”

Telles had been angry w/ #German over his reporting, which he expressed in msgs to the reporter, in tweets — & during the cross-examination.

#law #Criminal #politics #violence #LasVegas #Nevada #Journalism

…During cross-examination Thurs, prosecutor Christopher Hamner pressed #Telles about a text msg his wife sent him on the morning #JeffGerman was killed: “Where are you?”

…Before his death, #German had planned to write another story on Telles. German had been waiting for a public records request, which had focused on communications the public administrator had w/Reid & the staffer he’d been accused of having an affair with.

#law #Criminal #politics #violence #LasVegas #Nevada #Journalism

Rita Reid decided to challenge his reelection bid “because of the brewing animosity” in the public administrator’s office, acc/to #German’s reporting.

During an interview w/ #JeffGerman at the time, #Telles denied having an affair w/the staffer. On Thurs during cross-examination, Telles reversed course, saying in the hearing that he had lied & admitting that he & the staffer were romantically involved.

#law #Criminal #politics #violence #LasVegas #Nevada #Journalism

#German was known for his expansive investigative #journalism. He covered #courts, #politics & #OrganizedCrime for >30yrs, first at the #LasVegas Sun & later the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where he worked at the time of his death.

…German’s colleagues investigated his death as they grieved. At the same time, #police were releasing photos of a suspect & vehicle associated w/that person, requesting the public’s help. w/in days, police & #ReviewJournal reporters had both zeroed in on #Telles.

#law

The prosecution rested its case on Aug 19 after 4 days of witnesses & presentations that relied heavily on the #evidence police recovered from #RobertTelles’s home, #photos & #surveillance #video from the day of the stabbing, & a match between #Telles’s DNA & #DNA recovered from underneath #JeffGerman’s fingernails.

#law #Criminal #politics #violence #LasVegas #Nevada #Journalism

The trial saw #RobertTelles take the stand against the advice of his attorney. During a winding, narrative testimony delivered across 2 days, #Telles accused those he clashed w/while in public office of framing him.

In the months before his death, #JeffGerman had written about Telles & his office, chronicling an alleged affair between the public administrator & a staffer & the tension that ensued among employees.

#law #Criminal #politics #violence #LasVegas #Nevada #Journalism