Important police statement caps first week of trial against ex-politician in death of Las Vegas reporter

LAS VEGAS (AP) — As the courtroom doors opened Friday and the bailiff called down the hall for a certain police detective, some jurors sat up straighter in their seats.

From the outset of the murder trial of former Las Vegas-area politician Robert Telles, the police officer has been a central part of his defense. Telles' lawyers said the officer implicated Telles in the murder of investigative journalist Jeff German by “interfering” in the investigation and “attempting to dictate the direction” of the case.

Now the jury heard the commissioner himself. Derek Jappe, who mainly investigates cases of corruption in the public service and is a trained crisis negotiator, said that the homicide squad asked him for help when it came to arresting Telles.

Jappe said they turned to him because he was trained in crisis negotiations and because Telles had met the detective while investigating reports of possible financial crimes in Telles' office, including allegations against Telles. Jappe told the jury he found no evidence of wrongdoing on Telles' part.

Telles, formerly elected district public administrator for unclaimed property, has pleaded not guilty of murder, saying he did not kill German, that he was framed for the crime and that police botched the investigation. Those allegations did not come up during cross-examination, although Jappe could return to the witness stand next week when he is called to testify again by Telles' lawyers.

“We presented the defense that our client asked us to,” Robert Draskovich said outside the courtroom on Friday.

The murder in September 2022 by Deutsch, who spent 44 years of reporting on Las Vegas Gangsters and government officials at the Las Vegas Sun and later the rival Las Vegas Review-Journal shocked Sin City and the world of journalism.

German, 69, was found slashed and stabbed to death in the side yard of his home. He was the only reporter killed in the United States among 69 news workers killed worldwide this year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Prosecutors say that articles German wrote that were critical of Telles and a District office in turmoil provided a motive for the murder and that the German was working on another story at the time of his death.

Testimony in the trial against Telles began on Wednesday. Prosecutors are expected to continue presenting the charges through Monday.

During the week, the jury also heard from forensic experts who said Telles' DNA was found under the victim's fingernails. They were also shown video and photographic evidence, including surveillance footage of the suspect driving through German's neighborhood in a maroon SUV, one photo of which resembled an SUV that a Review-Journal photographer found Telles washing outside his home several days after German's death.

German's family members, who have been present on every day of the trial so far, have not commented publicly on the murder and declined to comment as a group in court.

Telles is scheduled to testify in his defense next week. If convicted, he faces a life sentence. The prosecution is not seeking the death penalty.

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Yamat was a colleague of Jeff German at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.