Former Clark County elected public official Robert Telles was found guilty Wednesday of murdering Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German.

The jury, consisting of seven women and five men, deliberated for about 12 hours before reaching a verdict.

Jurors weighed eight days of testimony from dozens of witnesses, including detectives, forensic experts and people who knew Telles, along with three days of testimony from Telles himself. Telles gave a narrative testimony to the jury, uninterrupted by his attorney, before being questioned by prosecutors.

The panel of seven women and five men deliberated for four hours on Monday, about six hours on Tuesday and two hours on Wednesday before reaching a decision. Telles’ trial lasted two weeks before attorneys presented their arguments Monday morning.

Telles stood in the courtroom with his head bowed as a clerk read out the verdict.

In the Review-Journal newsroom, where reporters had gathered around a desk to watch live footage of the trial, Editor-in-Chief Glenn Cook stood and hugged the staff, some wiping tears from their eyes.

“Today, a jury in Clark County delivered a measure of justice for Jeff German, and we hope it brings some comfort to his family, friends, and colleagues,” Cook wrote in a statement. “Jeff was killed because he did the kind of work he was proud of: His reporting held an elected official accountable for bad behavior and gave voters the power to elect someone else to the job.

“Robert Telles could have joined the long line of publicly shamed Nevada politicians who have moved on with their lives, out of the spotlight or back in. Instead, he carried out a premeditated revenge killing with terrifying brutality.

“Today, justice has also been served for murdered journalists around the world. Our jobs are becoming increasingly risky and sometimes dangerous. In many countries, the murderers of journalists go unpunished. Not so in Las Vegas. Our thanks go to the police and prosecutors whose diligent work brought this conviction.

“Let us also remember that this community has lost much more than a trusted journalist. Jeff was a good man who left behind a family who loved him and friends who cherished him. His murder remains a disgrace. He will be missed.”

Prosecutors say Telles, 47, killed German because of articles the journalist wrote about his conduct as an elected official, including allegations that he created a hostile work environment and had an “inappropriate” relationship with an associate.

Prosecutors said Telles “lay in wait” for German while wearing an orange reflective vest and a large straw hat before attacking the journalist outside his home on September 2, 2022.

Telles’ attorney, Robert Draskovich, told the Review-Journal on Tuesday that several days of deliberations are “clearly in favor of the defense.”

The state’s evidence against Telles included his own DNA found under German’s fingernails, plus surveillance footage and items found in his home that matched the clothing of his attacker. Former Metropolitan Police Department Detective Cliff Mogg testified about surveillance footage that police believe shows Telles’ Yukon Denali leaving his neighborhood the morning German was killed, driving around German’s neighborhood and then driving back to Telles’ home.

Draskovich has portrayed Telles as a civil servant trying to expose corruption within the public administration, while prosecutors have tried to debunk Telles’ claims that he was framed.

Telles testified before the jury last week that he was framed by government officials and a disgruntled real estate company for German’s murder.

He claimed that he investigated independent trustees in estate cases involving properties owned by people who had died in Clark County. He alleged that the homes were being flipped for profit, without benefiting the families of the deceased, and that he was “fighting” Compass Realty & Management over the sale.

The company calls his accusation “unconscionable and irresponsible.”

A Metropolitan Police Department detective testified at the trial about investigating allegations that Telles was the one receiving kickbacks, but he found no evidence to proceed with the investigation. He also said the Clark County district attorney’s office determined there was not enough evidence to prosecute the alleged scheme that Telles reported.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at [email protected] or 702-383-0240.