Former Nevada politician claims conspiracy in journalist’s murder

Late last week, former Nevada politician Robert Telles, accused of killing Las Vegas investigative reporter Jeff German, claimed he was framed in a vast conspiracy.

Telles alleged that Compass Realty, his office co-workers, Las Vegas police, the DNA lab, and prosecutors conspired to hire an assassin to kill German on September 2, 2022, and then plant evidence to implicate him.

On Monday, in the prosecution’s rebuttal, Christopher Hamner dismissed the conspiracy theory, telling the jury, “It didn’t make sense.”

“What it does reveal is Telles’ inflated self-importance. He believes all these entities were willing to kill someone just to frame him,” Hamner stated. “Does that make sense? And more importantly, where is the evidence?”

Even Telles’ attorney, Robert Draskovich, did not fully support Telles’ conspiracy theory, though he understood his client’s mindset.

“It’s understandable why he believes this broad conspiracy,” Draskovich said in his closing argument. “What other options does he have in these circumstances?”

After the rebuttal, the jury began deliberations. After four hours, they were sent home and will return Tuesday at 9 a.m. PT.

The closing arguments and rebuttal marked several weeks into Telles’ murder trial. The 47-year-old former Clark County Public Administrator pleaded not guilty to murder with a deadly weapon in German’s stabbing death.

The trial in Clark County comes nearly two years after the killing raised concerns about journalist safety in the United States. Since 1992, 14 journalists have been killed in the US, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

German, 69, covered the underbelly of Las Vegas, including mobsters, corrupt officials, and government agencies. Prosecutors argued his reporting on Telles and his office led to the murder.

Before his death, German wrote about alleged misconduct in the Clark County Public Administrator’s office, reporting that Telles created a hostile work environment and had an inappropriate relationship with a staffer.

German was found with multiple stab wounds outside his home on September 2, 2022. He was working on a story about Telles the week he was killed, according to the Review-Journal.

Prosecutors alleged Telles killed German out of anger over articles exposing turmoil in his office. These articles caused Telles to lose his bid for reelection in a June 2022 Democratic primary.

Months later, while German was working on another story, Telles allegedly wore a disguise, hid outside the reporter’s home, and fatally stabbed him, the prosecution said.

About two dozen witnesses testified for the prosecution, which used video and physical evidence to link Telles to the suspect’s disguise, a maroon vehicle at the scene, and DNA from under German’s fingernails.

Parts of the disguise – a large sun hat and grey Nike sneakers – were found cut into pieces in Telles’ house, prosecutors noted. Investigators also found images on Telles’ phone showing German’s house on Google Maps.

During closing arguments Monday, Chief Deputy District Attorney Pamela Weckerly summarised the evidence, showing Telles’ texts criticising German’s articles.

“He was clearly upset that those articles were written and that he lost the primary because of them,” Weckerly said.

The defense argued Telles had been framed due to changes he was making in his office that upset the “Old Guard.” Telles testified in his own defense, denying wrongdoing and stating a real estate company hired an assassin to kill German and frame him.

“I’ve never beat anybody up, I’ve never killed anybody. I didn’t kill Mr. German. That’s my testimony,” Telles said.

In the defense’s closing argument, Draskovich argued the state had not proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt. He noted the absence of German’s blood or DNA in Telles’ home, vehicle, or clothing, and the lack of the murder weapon and the bright orange vest worn by the suspect.

On rebuttal, Hamner discredited Telles’ conspiracy theory, questioning why so many people would agree to kill a reporter to frame a minor politician.

Hamner reluctantly acknowledged Telles’ murder plot as “thoughtful” and “deliberate” but described it as amateurish. He argued Telles had the motive and means to kill German, who was working on another article about him.

“He murdered him because Jeff’s writing destroyed his career, his reputation, and threatened his marriage, exposing things he did not want the public to know,” Hamner said. “He did it because Jeff wasn’t done writing.”