OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
4:07 PM – Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Former Democratic Rep. Robert Telles was sentenced Wednesday to at least 28 years in a Nevada state prison for the murder of investigative journalist Jeff German.
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Robert Telles is a former Clark County administrator. He took office in 2019 and retired in 2022.
2 years ago Las Vegas Review Journalrevealed an intimate relationship between Telles and a female colleague, in addition to other articles criticizing Telles' inappropriate behavior and workplace corruption.
After a jury found Telles guilty of murder in August, the court subsequently aggravated the sentence by taking into account factors such as “the ambush, use of a deadly weapon, and the reporter's age,” with a minimum sentence of 20 years. An additional 8 years were added.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “ambush” is defined as “hidden, watching and waiting for a victim with the intent of making an unexpected attack that kills or injures the victim.” Point.
Telles spoke with German's family during the sentencing and expressed his condolences, but continued to try to maintain his innocence, the newspaper reported. CBS KLAS-TV station.
In defense testimony, Telles, 47, denied stabbing German to death in September 2022. But there was substantial evidence against him, including his DNA found under Mr. German's fingernails.
At the time, Telles was elected administrator of the county office, which handles probate and unclaimed estate matters. He has been in jail with no chance of bail since his arrest.
Nevertheless, Telles' attorney, Robert Draskovich, said he plans to appeal the conviction.
The murdered German writer was 69 years old. He was a well-respected journalist who covered corruption, justice, and crime in Las Vegas for 44 years.
After Jarman's article was published in May and June 2022, other articles detailing the chaos and harassment at the Clark County Administrator and Guardian's Office and the secret relationship between Telles and a female employee. After that, Mr. Telles lost in the primary election for his second term. After his arrest, his law license was also suspended.
“Police sought to identify a person seen on neighborhood security video driving a maroon SUV, wearing a wide straw hat that hid his face, and an oversized orange long-sleeved shirt.'' Prosecutor Pamela Weckerly showed footage of a person dressed in orange slipping into a backyard where a German was stabbed, slashed and left for dead. CBS News Reported.
Police found a maroon SUV at Telles' residence, as well as pieces of a straw hat and gray sneakers believed to have been worn by the person seen on local surveillance cameras.
When Telles took the stand, he still could not explain his DNA found on the Germans or the components of the disguise found in his home.
Telles also admitted for the first time in his lengthy testimony that the office romance was real, and acknowledged the reporter's article as fact. But he still denies German's murder, insisting he was “trapped” by a vast conspiracy involving police, real estate companies, DNA experts and former colleagues.
“I'm not a stabbing person. I didn't kill Mr. Jarman,” Telles insisted. “And that is my testimony.”
Prosecutor Christopher Hamner said Telles claimed German had ruined his career, damaged his reputation and jeopardized his marriage.
Telles also told the jury that German was going to the gym and taking a walk at the time of her murder. However, there was evidence that Telles' wife had been texting him asking, “Where are you?” At about the same time he was killed. Prosecutors said Telles could not be traced because he left his cell phone at home.
After three days and nearly 12 hours of deliberations, the jury found Telles guilty. Before deciding that Mr. Telles is eligible for parole, the court heard testimony about his punishment from Mr. German's brother and two sisters, and also expressed gratitude for the generosity of Mr. Telles' mother, wife, and ex-wife. I heard a voice asking for it.
Because German was over 60 years old, Clark County District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt charged Telles with both waiting before the attack and using a deadly weapon with intent, intent, and premeditation to cause death. It authorized the defendant's sentence to be extended by up to eight years. .
District Attorney Steve Wolfson expressed his “hopeful and confident” belief that the judge would sentence Telles to life in prison.
“This defendant has shown no remorse and has not accepted responsibility,” the elected district attorney said. “And in fact, his actions are so egregious that I believe he would be an extreme danger to the community if released.”
Katherine Jacobsen, the commission's U.S., Canada and Caribbean program coordinator, said Telles' conviction sent “an important message that the killing of journalists will not be tolerated.”
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