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A former Las Vegas Democratic politician on trial for allegedly killing a veteran investigative journalist who had written crucial tales concerning the official, took the stand on Wednesday to provide his aspect of the story and plead his innocence.
“Unequivocally I’m harmless,” Robert Telles, 47, declared from a Nevada witness field going through 12 jurors and two alternates.
Telles, a former Democratic Clark County administrator of estates, is charged with murdering Las Vegas Evaluate-Journal investigative journalist Jeff German in September 2022, simply months after German wrote unflattering articles about Telles and his office conduct, together with allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a feminine coworker.
German was discovered slashed and stabbed to dying in a aspect yard exterior his residence, the place Telles is accused in a legal grievance of “mendacity in wait” for German to come back exterior.
JURY SELECTION BEGINS MONDAY FOR FORMER LAS VEGAS-AREA POLITICIAN ACCUSED OF KILLING INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST
Robert Telles on the witness stand, left, on Wednesday the place he denied killing journalist Jeff German; Chief Deputy District Legal professional Pamela Weckerly questions Las Vegas police Crime Scene Analyst Christie Baxter on proof on the trial, high proper; and the Las Vegas strip. (Ok.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Evaluate-Journal through AP | Clive Mason – Components 1/Components 1 through Getty Photos)
Telles faces life in jail if he’s convicted and insists he has been framed by an actual property agency for making an attempt to battle corruption that he noticed in his workplace. He has by no means accounted for what he was doing that day and is predicted to renew offering testimony on Thursday.
“That is the day I’ve been ready for,” Telles stated after his lawyer acquired permission from the trial choose to let Telles testify “by means of narration” as an alternative of a normal question-and-answer format.
His lawyer, Robert Draskovich, then sat down. He had strongly suggested his shopper to not take the stand and threat questioning below oath from two prosecutors who rested their homicide case Monday after 4 days, 28 witnesses and lots of of pages of images, police studies and video proof that weigh closely in opposition to Telles.
“I didn’t kill Mr. German,” Telles stated. “After I share an opinion with you, that’s my proper. And it’s your proper to determine whether or not or not you agree with my opinion or not, whether or not you wish to doubt my opinion or not. I’m simply hoping that I’m not stopped from sharing with you what I’ve to say.”
“I’ve been sitting in a cell for nearly two years,” Telles advised jurors, including greater than as soon as that he was “very nervous.”
German’s household regarded puzzled at instances whereas Telles was on the stand,” Fox 5 studies, whereas jurors might be seen taking notes all through his testimony. At instances, displays weren’t prepared for Telles to indicate the jury. The choose advised the defendant to proceed on with out these displays offered, regardless of Telles arguing that the jury wanted to see these displays.
Telles went on to inform the jury about his background, starting with highschool, how he grew to become a lawyer after a few unrelated jobs and the way he met his spouse. They’ve three youngsters collectively.
He stated the way in which German was killed was indicative of somebody who knew what they have been doing.
Robert Telles, proper, talks to Evaluate-Journal reporter Jeff German in his Las Vegas workplace, on Might 11, 2022. (Ok.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Evaluate-Journal through AP, File)
“The concept Mr. German’s throat was slashed and his coronary heart was stabbed I don’t know if anyone can do this with out coaching,” Telles stated. “Someone framed me for this and I consider it was Compass Realty, and it associated to the work I’ve accomplished in opposition to them.”
Fox Information Digital has reached out to Compass Realty for remark.
An athletic membership supervisor testified that data confirmed Telles’ membership was used to test in at a Las Vegas location simply after midday the day German was killed. However he additionally stated video of visitors arriving and departing at the moment was now not out there.
Earlier, a cellphone information knowledgeable testifying in Telles’ protection conceded throughout questioning by a prosecutor that Telles’ cellphone confirmed no outgoing exercise from 8:48 a.m. to 2:05 p.m. that day – a interval during which proof has proven German was killed. Police and prosecutors have stated they suppose Telles left his cellphone at residence.
NEVADA JUDGE POSTPONES TRIAL OF FORMER LAS VEGAS OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF KILLING JOURNALIST
Telles was arrested days after German’s dying following police circulating video of an individual sporting an orange work shirt and a wide-brimmed straw hat toting a shoulder bag and strolling towards German’s residence.
Prosecutors say they’ve robust proof, together with DNA believed to be from Telles discovered beneath German’s fingernails and cut-up items of a straw hat and footwear discovered at Telles’ home that resembled these worn by the individual seen on video exterior German’s residence.
Police additionally launched pictures of a particular maroon SUV like one {that a} Evaluate-Journal photographer noticed Telles washing exterior his residence a number of days after the killing.
Robert Telles is sworn in on the eighth day of his homicide trial on the Regional Justice Heart in Las Vegas on Wednesday. (Ok.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Evaluate-Journal through AP)
On Monday the jury heard that Telles had lots of of images of German’s residence and neighborhood on his cellphone and pc.
Different images taken from Telles’ gadgets included a picture of a single grey athletic shoe with a particular black sample and a shot of Telles’ work pc on the Clark County Public Administrator and Guardian workplace with outcomes of web searches by means of a password-protected website that retrieved German’s title, residence deal with, car registration and date of start.
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Prosecutor Christopher Hamner famous for jurors that the picture was taken on Aug. 23, 2022 – lower than two weeks earlier than German was discovered lifeless in a pool of blood.
Telles grew up in El Paso, Texas, and lived in Colorado earlier than shifting to Las Vegas. He grew to become a lawyer in 2015 and ran as a Democrat in 2018 to turn into Clark County administrator of estates. He misplaced his elected place after his arrest and his legislation license was suspended.
Prosecutors are usually not in search of the dying penalty and Telles has remained jailed.
Fox Information’ Danielle Wallace and the Related Press contributed to this report
Michael Dorgan is a author for Fox Information Digital and Fox Enterprise.
You possibly can ship tricks to [email protected] and comply with him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
Dem Vegas politician accused of journalist homicide testifies: ‘Unequivocally I’m harmless’
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