Posted on: August 14, 2024, 08:40h.
Last updated on: August 15, 2024, 11:34h.
The trial of Robert Telles began with opening statements regarding the murder of investigative reporter Jeff German. Telles, a former Las Vegas official, pleaded not guilty to the charge, amidst allegations of an inappropriate affair with an employee.
German’s tragic murder in 2022 stunned both the Las Vegas community and the journalistic world, as he was one of 69 reporters killed worldwide that year, and the only one in the US.
The jury was shown surveillance video of a person wearing an orange vest and a straw hat sneaking into German’s yard a day before the fatal attack.
Prosecutor Pamela Weckerly detailed the events, indicating that German was ambushed by the individual in the disguise as he entered his yard.
Telles’s defense lawyer, Robert Draskovich, portrayed his client as a dedicated family man and addressed the prosecution’s evidence, hinting at potential framing and mishandled police investigations.
“There will be a great deal of testimony concerning DNA,” Draskovich said. “Inferences will be made, inferences will be drawn, and inferences will be attacked.”
The defense also raised concerns about missing body-camera footage and possible evidence tampering, such as the discovery of a cut-up straw hat at Telles’s residence.
Family members wiped away tears as autopsy images of German were displayed, showcasing the brutal nature of his murder. German, a veteran journalist, had targeted Telles in his investigative reporting prior to his death.
Weckerly emphasized that the heart of the case lies in the murder itself, rather than political motives or personal disputes.
The trial is set to continue over the coming days, with a possibility of Telles testifying in his own defense next week. Prosecutors are not pursuing the death penalty, leaving life imprisonment as the potential outcome if Telles is convicted.