Robert Telles, former Las Vegas county administrator, has filed an appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court challenging his conviction for the murder of investigative journalist Jeff German. Telles was sentenced to 20 years to life in August for first-degree murder.

Telles submitted a handwritten appeal after parting ways with his trial attorneys. During his trial, he unusually chose to testify in narrative form without attorney questioning - a practice typically occurring when defense attorneys believe their client's testimony may be false.

Despite claiming he was framed by a Las Vegas reality company, Telles presented no evidence supporting his defense. Meanwhile, prosecutors provided substantial evidence against him, including:

• DNA evidence found under German's fingernails
• Surveillance footage showing someone driving Telles' car to the crime scene
• A shredded straw hat found in Telles' house matching the suspect's appearance
• Text messages from Telles' wife questioning his whereabouts during the murder

Judge Michelle Leavitt added 8-20 years to Telles' sentence due to weapon use and the victim's age being over 60. Currently imprisoned at Nevada's High Desert State Prison, Telles will be eligible for parole in 2050 at age 74.

The victim, Jeff German, was a 69-year-old veteran journalist who spent over 40 years investigating local government corruption for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas Sun. He was murdered while investigating Telles' conduct as a county administrator.

Related Articles

Previous Articles