2 left ‘death threats’ for Las Vegas reporter before murder allegedly involving ex-politician
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Prosecutors formally requested a delay Thursday in the trial of Robert Telles, the ex-Las Vegas-area politician accused of killing an investigative reporter, adding two people left the journalist death threats before his murder.
The trial for Robert Telles, 47, the disgraced former Clark County public administrator, was scheduled to begin March 18. Telles was charged with murder in the stabbing death of Jeff German, a Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter, in September 2022.
Telles, prosecutors, attorneys for the newspaper and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department argued for months over who should be entitled to review the contents of several electronic devices in German’s possession. Ultimately, the parties agreed to let attorneys for the newspaper handle the review.
In court earlier this week, prosecutors said 5,000 electronic files contained on German’s phone were “potentially privileged.”
Prosecutors said they are aware of not one, but two audio recordings on German’s phone from “unknown individuals” making “death threats” to him, documents filed Thursday said.
“The Review-Journal reports that these recordings were in German’s phone,” prosecutors wrote. “Because the state does not have the device, only a limited follow-up investigation can be done regarding these alleged threats. The investigation on these alleged death threats alone will take weeks, particularly given that Metro does not have access to the device.”
In February, defense attorney Robert Draskovich, who represents Telles, told a Clark County judge that the Review-Journal’s review of German’s phone found one angry voicemail from a man with a distinct high-pitched voice not belonging to Telles.
Draskovich said the voicemail, which he called “potentially exculpatory,” was about a February 2022 story German wrote about U.S. extremism. The message was around 45 seconds long and full of expletives and the caller threatened to kill German, Draskovich said.
German was found stabbed to death outside his home on Sept. 3, 2022. Detectives said Telles’ DNA was found under German’s fingernails and believe Telles targeted German because of articles he wrote about problems in the Clark County Public Administrator’s office, which Telles oversaw.
In rescheduling the trial, prosecutors asked the judge to in turn ask the Review-Journal how long their search of German’s devices will take.
“The state is not seeking a year-long delay,” prosecutors wrote Thursday. “The state asks the court to inquire of the Review-Journal the amount of time the seven designated individuals are devoting to searching the devices each day and for an estimate of completion of the search of all of the devices. Once the State has the devices and has had time to review and potentially challenge the privilege assertions, it will be ready for trial.”
Leavitt will issue her ruling on the potential delay on Tuesday, March 12.
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