Ex-Las Vegas politician Robert Telles jailed for life for murder of journalist Jeff German
Former county official found guilty of murdering Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter who wrote articles critical of his conduct in office
A former Las Vegas politician was jailed for life for killing an investigative journalist who wrote critical articles detailing wrongdoing in the department he headed.
Robert Telles lay in wait outside the home of long-time reporter Jeff German, and then stabbed him to death, a jury in Clark County, Nevada concluded.
“Justice has been served,” Clark County prosecutor Steve Wolfson told reporters on Wednesday.
“Today’s verdict should send a message, and that message is a clear message that any attempts to silence the media or to silence or intimidate a journalist will not be tolerated.”
The two-week trial had heard how German, a 69-year-old reporter at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, had written an article months before his death describing a toxic environment in the county office that Telles led.
The piece, published a month before an election in which Telles was standing to retain his role, detailed complaints of favouritism and allegations that Telles had been involved in an inappropriate relationship with a member of staff.