The former Las Vegas Democratic politician’s location at the time the veteran investigative reporter was brutally stabbed to death remains a central issue in the former high-ranking official’s murder trial, while newly discovered text messages shroud the defendant’s alibi as he continues to maintain his innocence and dispute DNA evidence linking him to the crime.
Robert Telles, 47, on trial for killing Jeff Jarman, a journalist who wrote critical articles about officials, faced tough questioning during cross-examination on Thursday after prosecutors presented him with surprise text messages sent by his wife that had disappeared from his phone.
Telles, a former Democratic property manager in Clark County, read aloud text messages from his wife saying she wondered where her husband was when he was ambushed and killed outside their home nearly two years ago.
Las Vegas Democrat accused of murdering journalist testifies: “I am absolutely innocent”
Sudden text messages presented at the murder trial of former Las Vegas Democratic politician Robert Telles appear to shed light on the mystery surrounding his whereabouts on the day of the murder. (KM Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal via The Associated Press, Pool)
“It says, ‘Where are you?'” Tellez said in response to prosecutor Christopher Hamner.
Telles previously testified that he ignored several texts, emails and voice messages while he was at home on the day Germán was killed, went for a walk and then went to the gym. Prosecutors have suggested he left his mobile phone at the house when he carried out his meticulously orchestrated deadly attack on the journalist.
Hamner focused on cellphone records presented by defense witnesses Wednesday that did not show messages from Tellez’s wife, which prosecutors said were found on her Apple Watch and had been deleted from Tellez’s phone.
Telles said he had the phone in his possession all day and was able to save and delete messages, though he denied deleting any messages.
Hamner noted that 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 2, 2022, was the time that security camera footage presented to the jury showed a maroon SUV that Tellus recognized looked just like his own in German’s neighborhood. It was driven by someone wearing orange clothing and a large straw hat — someone Tellus himself referred to multiple times Thursday as German’s killer.
Mr Telles said on the witness stand that a professional assassin stabbed Mr Jarman to death and he accused the real estate company of being behind the murder to frame him for trying to fight corruption he witnessed in the office.
German was found slashed and stabbed to death in the backyard of her home after Telles “lied in wait” for her to come outside, the complaint said.
FILE – Clark County Executive Robert Tellez, right, talks with Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German in his office on May 11, 2022, in Las Vegas. (KM Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal via The Associated Press, File)
Telles was arrested a few days later after police released a video showing a man wearing an orange work shirt, a wide-brimmed straw hat and carrying a shoulder bag walking toward German’s home.
Prosecutors say they have strong evidence, including DNA believed to be Telles’s found under German’s fingernails and pieces of a straw hat and shoe found in Telles’ home that resemble those worn by a man seen on video outside German’s house.
Las Vegas Democrat accused of murder says he had hundreds of photos of journalist’s home and neighborhood
Telles did not dispute that his DNA was found under Gelman’s fingernails but suggested it may have been planted there. Autopsy photos showed knife and cut marks on Gelman’s arms that police said were made as he fought for his life. Telles said he did not know how the straw hat and shoe fragments ended up in the home.
“So the DNA lab is involved?” Hamner said.
Pieces of a chopped-up shoe are seen in an evidence photo at the murder trial of Robert Telles for the murder of investigative journalist Jeff Jarman. (KM Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal via The Associated Press, Pool)
“I don’t know. I don’t know at what point the sample was taken,” Telles replied.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, please tell us: how on earth did your DNA get under Mr. Jarman’s fingernails?” Hamner responded.
“I don’t know because I didn’t kill Mr. German,” Telles said.
Hamner acknowledged that two key pieces of evidence — the orange work shirt and the knife used to attack Jarman — were not found. He questioned why those trying to frame Telles would have left them out of the evidence list.
“Why didn’t they put the murder weapon in your house?” Hamner asked. “Does that mean anything?”
“I don’t know,” Teres replied.
Jurors heard Monday that Telles had hundreds of photos of German’s home and neighborhood on his phone and computer.
Other photos taken from Telles’ device included an image of a pair of gray athletic shoes with a distinctive black pattern, a photo of Telles’ work computer at the Clark County Commissioner’s Office, and the results of an Internet search through a password-protected site that displayed German’s name, home address, vehicle registration number and date of birth.
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Outgoing Clark County Executive Robert Tellez washes his car in front of his home on Sept. 6, 2022, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal via The Associated Press, File)
Hamner previously told jurors the photo was taken on Aug. 23, 2022, just under two weeks before he was found dead in a pool of blood.
Police also released photos of a distinctive maroon SUV similar to one a Review-Journal photographer saw Telles washing cars outside his home a few days after the murder, with a person wearing orange clothing and a large straw hat inside.
Both sides said closing arguments are scheduled to take place Monday, two weeks after jury selection begins.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
