Nevada politician found guilty of murder of reporter Jeff German

A former Nevada politician was found guilty Wednesday of murdering an investigative journalist who wrote articles critical of his time in office.

Robert Telles, 47, has been in prison since 2022 for the stabbing attack on Las Vegas Review-Journal journalist Jeff German.

During the trial, prosecutors presented the jury with DNA evidence found under Mr German's fingernails that they said belonged to Telles, who had pleaded not guilty.

However, a twelve-member jury found the defendant guilty on Wednesday after two days of deliberation.

Telles, who was elected Clark County public administrator in 2018, testified during the trial and maintained his innocence.

According to the jury's verdict, he could now face a life sentence.

The 12 jurors deliberated for four hours on Monday and about six hours on Tuesday before the panel reached its conclusion.

The trial had dragged on for two weeks before closing arguments began on Monday.

In September 2022, 69-year-old German was found outside his Nevada home after being stabbed seven times in the neck and torso.

The veteran reporter had spent more than four decades covering the city and its corruption.

He had written several articles about Telles, accusing him of hostile behavior in his Las Vegas office and of having an affair with a subordinate.

At the time of his death, Mr. German had yet to publish another article about Telles.