A previous Las Vegas Democratic political leader on test for supposedly eliminating a professional investigatory reporter that had actually composed essential tales regarding the authorities, took the stand on Wednesday to provide his side of the tale and beg his virtue.
“Unequivocally I’m innocent,” Robert Telles, 47, proclaimed from a Nevada witness box dealing with 12 jurors and 2 alternates.
Telles, a previous Democratic Clark County manager of estates, is billed with killing Las Vegas Review-Journal investigatory reporter Jeff German in September 2022, simply months after German created uncomplimentary short articles regarding Telles and his work environment conduct, consisting of accusations of an unacceptable partnership with a women colleague.
German was located reduced and stabbed to fatality in a side backyard outside his home, where Telles is implicated in a criminal issue of “lying in wait” for German to find outside.
COURT CHOICE STARTS MONDAY FOR PREVIOUS LAS VEGAS-AREA POLITICAL LEADER CHARGEDS OF MURDER INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
Robert Telles on the witness box, left, on Wednesday where he rejected eliminating reporter Jeff German; Chief Deputy District Attorney Pamela Weckerly inquiries Las Vegas authorities Crime Scene Analyst Christie Baxter on proof at the test, leading right; and the Las Vegas strip. ( K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal through AP|Clive Mason – Formula 1/Formula 1 through Getty Images)
Telles encounters life behind bars if he is founded guilty and urges he has actually been mounted by a property company for attempting to combat corruption that he saw in his workplace. He has actually never ever made up what he was doing that day and is anticipated to return to giving statement onThursday
“This is the day I’ve been waiting for,” Telles stated after his lawyer obtained authorization from the test court to allow Telles indicate “by way of narration” as opposed to a conventional question-and-answer layout.
His lawyer, Robert Draskovich, after that took a seat. He had actually highly suggested his customer not to take the stand and threat wondering about under vow from 2 district attorneys that relaxed their murder situation Monday after 4 days, 28 witnesses and thousands of web pages of pictures, authorities records and video clip proof that consider greatly versus Telles.
“I didn’t kill Mr. German,” Telles stated. “When I share an opinion with you, that’s my right. And it’s your right to decide whether or not you agree with my opinion or not, whether you want to doubt my opinion or not. I’m just hoping that I’m not stopped from sharing with you what I have to say.”
“I’ve been sitting in a cell for almost two years,” Telles informed jurors, including greater than as soon as that he was “very nervous.”
German’s household looked puzzled sometimes while Telles got on the stand,” Fox 5 reports, while jurors could be seen taking notes throughout his testimony. At times, exhibits were not ready for Telles to show the jury. The judge told the defendant to continue on without those exhibits presented, despite Telles arguing that the jury needed to see those exhibits.
Telles went on to tell the jury about his background, beginning with high school, how he became a lawyer after a couple of unrelated jobs and how he met his wife. They have three children together.
He said the way German was killed was indicative of someone who knew what they were doing.
Robert Telles, right, talks to Review-Journal reporter Jeff German in his Las Vegas office, on May 11, 2022. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, File)
“The idea thatMr German’s throat was slashed and his heart was stabbed I don’t know if anybody can do that without training,” Telles said. “Somebody framed me for this and I believe it was Compass Realty, and it related to the work I’ve done against them.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Compass Realty for comment.
An athletic club manager testified that records showed Telles’ membership was used to check in at a Las Vegas location just after noon the day German was killed. But he also said video of guests arriving and departing at that time was no longer available.
Earlier, a cellphone data expert testifying in Telles’ defense conceded during questioning by a prosecutor that Telles’ phone showed no outgoing activity from 8:48 a.m. to 2:05 p.m. that day – a period in which evidence has shown German was killed. Police and prosecutors have said they think Telles left his phone at home.
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Telles was arrested days after German’s death following police circulating video of a person wearing an orange work shirt and a wide-brimmed straw hat toting a shoulder bag and walking toward German’s home.
Prosecutors say they have strong evidence, including DNA believed to be from Telles found beneath German’s fingernails and cut-up pieces of a straw hat and shoes found at Telles’ house that resembled those worn by the person seen on video outside German’s home.
Police also released images of a distinctive maroon SUV like one that a Review-Journal photographer saw Telles washing outside his home several days after the killing.
Robert Telles is sworn in on the eighth day of his murder trial at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas on Wednesday. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)
On Monday the jury heard that Telles had hundreds of photos of German’s home and neighborhood on his cellphone and computer.
Other photos taken from Telles’ devices included an image of a single gray athletic shoe with a distinctive black pattern and a shot of Telles’ work computer at the Clark County Public Administrator and Guardian office with results of internet searches through a password-protected site that retrieved German’s name, home address, vehicle registration and date of birth.
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Prosecutor Christopher Hamner noted for jurors that the photo was taken on Aug. 23, 2022 – less than two weeks before German was found dead in a pool of blood.
Telles grew up in El Paso, Texas, and lived in Colorado before moving to Las Vegas. He became a lawyer in 2015 and ran as a Democrat in 2018 to become Clark County administrator of estates. He lost his elected position after his arrest and his law license was suspended.
Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty and Telles has remained jailed.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and the Associated Press contributed to this report
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