By Andrew Hay
(Reuters) – Jury selection begins on Monday in the trial of a former local elected official in Las Vegas, Nevada, accused of killing an investigative reporter who wrote articles critical of him.
Former Clark County Administrator Robert Telles has been jailed since his September 2022 arrest on suspicion of murdering Las Vegas Review-Journal journalist Jeff German, who was stabbed and fatally shot outside his home.
Telles, 47, pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder with the use of a deadly weapon that could put him behind bars for the rest of his life if convicted.
“He has been adamant about proceeding with the trial,” said Telles’ attorney, Robert Draskovich. “He looks forward to presenting his case before a jury.”
Prosecutors Pamela Weckerly and Christopher Hammer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
German, 69, was killed during what police said was an altercation with Telles, who was upset about German’s reporting on his role as a public administrator.
The former Democratic administrator, whose office oversaw the estates of people who died, said he was framed by police.
Telles will make a last-ditch effort on Monday to have the charges dropped, when a judge will rule on a dismissal request.
Prosecutors said German was stabbed seven times and that Telles’ DNA was found under his fingernails and on his hands.
German spent months reporting complaints that Telles had an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate and supervised an abusive workplace.
Telles denied the allegations.
Shortly after German’s investigation was published, Telles failed in his re-election bid, losing in the Democratic primary.
Draskovich said he expects jury selection to take several days due to the media attention surrounding the case.
German was well-known in Las Vegas for decades of reporting on government corruption and organized crime in Nevada’s largest city.
He was the only journalist murdered in the United States in 2021 among 69 media workers and journalists killed worldwide, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
(Reporting by Andrew Hay; Editing by Donna Bryson and Stephen Coates)
