Former Las Vegas official pleads not guilty to murder of journalist Jeff German
Reporter had been investigating allegations of bullying and workplace hostility
A former Las Vegas public official has pleaded not guilty to murdering a journalist who had been investigating him.
Robert Telles, the former public administrator of Nevada’s Clark County, is accused of murdering Jeff German, a reporter for The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
German, 69, was found dead from multiple stab wounds outside his home near Vegas Drive and Tenaya Way in September.
Three days later Mr Telles was arrested and charged with the killing following a brief SWAT standoff at his home.
During his initial arraignment hearing on Wednesday in Las Vegas, Mr Telles, who is now represented by a private lawyer rather than a public defender, pleaded not guilty to murder charges and also waived his right to a jury trial.
Prosecutors have said they do not intend to pursue the death penalty in the case. Mr Telles has been denied bail and remains in custody.
In the months before his death German had been investigating allegations of bullying and workplace hostility in the county official’s office.
German also exposed the married father-of-three’s alleged affair with a staffer, releasing footage of what appeared to show the pair having sex in a parked car.
Following the investigative journalist’s reporting, Mr Telles fired off several angry tweets towards the journalist and then lost his re-election campaign.
“*Wife hears rustling in the trash* Her: ‘Honey, is there a wild animal in the trash?’ Me: ‘No, dear. Looks like it’s @JGermanRJ going through our trash for his 4th story on me.’ Oh, Jeff,” he tweeted on 18 June, days before the election, with a laughing- crying emoji. “Oh shoot. I left a pizza box and sushi containers in the trash. In the next article, I’m going to have mob and yakuza ties.”
Days later he tweeted “Looking forward to lying smear piece #4 by @JGermanRJ. #onetrickpony I think he’s mad that I haven’t crawled into a hole and died.”
Following the killing police released photos of their suspect dressed in an orange, long-sleeved construction shirt and a big, wide-brimmed straw sun hat.
Investigators said the suspect appeared to be stalking the area prior to the brutal slaying and said they believed the perpetrator and victim had been involved in an “altercation” outside Mr German’s home on Friday morning.
They also released an image of a red or maroon GMC Yukon Denali, a match for a car owned by Mr Telles.
Police have said that DNA found at the scene belonged to Mr Telles and that a pair of bloodied sneakers and a straw hat matching those in the surveillance footage were found at the suspect’s home.