LAS VEGAS — The DNA of Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles was found at the scene of the fatal stabbing of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German, the Metropolitan Police Department announced Thursday morning.
German, 69, was found dead Saturday morning on the side of his northwest Las Vegas house. He reported on crime, courts, corruption, casino industry leaders and mob figures for decades in Las Vegas.
On Wednesday evening, Robert Telles was arrested on suspicion of murder about 12 hours after police arrived at his west Las Vegas house to conduct a search.
At a news briefing Thursday morning, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said the case was an important one to solve for the community.
“This a terrible and jarring homicide,” Lombardo said. “One that has deeply impacted Las Vegas. Every murder is tragic, but the killing of a journalist is particularly troublesome.”
The sheriff said Telles was booked Wednesday night into the Clark County Detention Center on a murder charge.
“The arrest of Robert Telles is at once an enormous relief and an outrage for the Review-Journal newsroom,” Executive Editor Glenn Cook said Wednesday. “We are relieved Telles is in custody and outraged that a colleague appears to have been killed for reporting on an elected official. Journalists can’t do the important work our communities require if they are afraid a presentation of facts could lead to violent retribution. We thank Las Vegas police for their urgency and hard work and for immediately recognizing the terrible significance of Jeff’s killing. Now, hopefully, the Review-Journal, the German family and Jeff’s many friends can begin the process of mourning and honoring a great man and a brave reporter.”
German spent months reporting on the turmoil surrounding Telles’ oversight of the public administrator’s office.
The 45-year-old Democrat lost his reelection bid in the June primary after German’s findings were published.
German also had recently filed public records requests for emails and text messages between Telles and three other county officials: Assistant Public Administrator Rita Reid, estate coordinator Roberta Lee-Kennett and consultant Michael Murphy. Lee-Kennett was identified in previous stories as a subordinate staffer allegedly involved in an “inappropriate relationship” with Telles.
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