Previous Democratic legislator from the Las Vegas vicinity receives the utmost sentence of 28 years for homicide of journalist
A judge imposed additional penalties for utilizing a lethal weapon and the victim's advanced age, extending the initial 20-year minimum sentence given by the jury in August following their conviction of first-degree murder against Robert Telles.
"He couldn't hand out a longer sentence," commented District Attorney Steve Wolfson post-trial, expressing that justice had been served for the community. "She gave him the maximum."
Telles, aged 47, defended himself during trial, denying involvement in the September 2022 stabbing of Las Vegas Review-Journal journalist Jeff German. However, evidence against him was persuasive — notably his DNA beneath German's fingernails.
Telles was responsible for managing a county office managing unclaimed estate and probate cases when he was arrested and detained without bail following German's murder. His tenure as an elected official ended weeks later.
Appearing in shackles before the judge on Wednesday, Telles expressed his "deepest condolences" to German's family but again denied culpability for the reporter's death.
"I understand the intention to seek justice and hold someone accountable for this," he said. "But I did not kill Mr. German."
Prosecutor Pamela Weckerly emphasized to the judge that Telles had eliminated German due to "the fact he didn't like what Mr. German had written about him. He believed that Mr. German had cost him an elected position."
"This kind of violence, this sort of political violence," noted the lawyer, "is not acceptable and detrimental to the entire community."
Telles' defense attorney, Robert Draskovich, pleaded leniency for Telles and conveyed that Telles would be appealing his conviction. After the sentence was announced, Draskovich discontinued his role as Telles' lawyer.
"The sentence was hardly surprising," Draskovich commented outside the courthouse. "We fulfilled our legal responsibilities. We parted on amicable terms. (Telles) preserved all his rights for appeal."
German was 69. He was a renowned reporter who dedicated 44 years to covering crime, courts, and corruption in Las Vegas.
Telles lost his primary election for a second term following German's May and June 2022 articles detailing chaos and bullying within the Clark County Public Administrator/Guardian office and a romantic affair between Telles and a female employee. His law license was suspended after his arrest.
Police solicited public assistance to find an individual shown on surveillance footage dressing in a maroon SUV and broad straw hat as well as an oversized orange long-sleeve shirt. Weckerly presented footage of the individual wearing orange kneeling near the site where German was stabbed, slashed, and left dead.
At Telles' residence, police discovered a maroon SUV and fragments of a straw hat and gray athletic shoe that resembled those seen in the footage. Authorities failed to locate the orange shirt or a weapon.
Telles took the stand for extended hours at his trial, conceding for the first time that the office romance allegations were accurate. He claimed to be "framed" for the crime by a collaborative conspiracy involving a real estate firm, police, DNA analysts, former colleagues, and others, narrating that he was targeted for his crusade against corruption.
Wolfson and prosecutors during the trial disregarded Telles' claims as implausible.
"The jury unequivocally and honestly rejected all of that," commented Weckerly during sentencing. She described Telles' statements as "empty assertions."
Other damning evidence against Telles was presented. Prosecutor Christopher Hamner informed the jury that Telles perceived German as responsible for ruining his career, damaging his reputation, and threatening his marriage.
Telles admitted to the jury that he took a walk and went to the gym when German was murdered. However, evidence disclosed that Telles' wife texted him inquiring about his whereabouts around the same time, while prosecutors noted that Telles left his cellphone at home to avoid tracking.
The jury deliberated for approximately 12 hours over three days before concluding Telles' guilt. The panel heard emotional testimony from German's brother, two sisters, and pleas for consideration from Telles' wife, ex-wife, and mother before deciding that Telles might be eligible for parole.
Judge Michelle Leavitt was allowed to consider sentencing enhancements amounting to eight years to Telles' sentence based on utilizing a lethal weapon in a willful, intentional, premeditated murder given that the victim was older than 60 years.
"This defendant has shown no remorse, no acknowledgement of responsibility," said Wolfson, the Democratic-elected regional prosecutor. "Moreover, I believe that he is an extreme risk to the community should he ever be released."
German was the only journalist killed in the U.S. in 2022, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. The nonprofit has records of 17 media workers killed in the U.S. since 1992.
"The sentencing of Robert Telles signifies a crucial turning point in the pursuit of justice," Katherine Jacobsen, the U.S., Canada, and Caribbean program coordinator at the committee, stated Wednesday to The Associated Press. "Though the imprisonment of Telles cannot undo Jeff German's murder, it can serve as a significant warning to prospective aggressors of journalists."
In light of the additional penalties, Telles might find it challenging to express his concerns to us in prison.
Despite the extended sentence, the community will continue to advocate for justice and freedom of the press, aiming to protect journalists like us.
