Las Vegas politician Robert Telles found guilty of murdering investigative journalist

A

Clark County jury

in Nevada on Wednesday found former

Las Vegas politician

Robert Telles guilty of murdering

investigative journalist Jeff German

, who had exposed misconduct in Telles' department. The jury concluded that Telles lay in wait outside German's home before launching a fatal knife attack.
"Justice has been served," Clark County prosecutor Steve Wolfson said, emphasizing the significance of the verdict.

"Today's verdict should send a clear message that any attempts to silence the media or intimidate a journalist will not be tolerated."
The two-week trial revealed that German, a 69-year-old reporter with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, had published an article months before his death detailing a toxic work environment under Telles' leadership. The piece, released just before Telles sought reelection, highlighted complaints of favoritism and accusations of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Telles denied the allegations but lost his reelection bid.
Despite his denial of the charges and claims of a conspiracy against him, the jury of seven women and five men was convinced by the evidence that Telles had driven to German's home in September 2022 and committed the brutal act.

The court will now consider sentencing Telles for first-degree

murder

with aggravating factors, which could lead to a life sentence.
Glenn Cook, executive editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, remarked on the significance of the jury's decision, stating, "Jeff was killed for doing the kind of work in which he took great pride: holding an elected official accountable for bad behavior and empowering voters to choose someone else for the job."
The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that 15 media workers have been killed in the United States in connection with their work since 1992.