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Jeff German murder: Robert Telles who had accused journo of writing 'smear' pieces against him ARRESTED

German reported 'multiple claims of bullying and favoritism' by Robert Telles

Update- Police have arrested Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles in connection with the death of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German. He has been taken into custody on Wednesday night, September 7, hours after a search warrant was served at his home.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Five days after investigative journalist Jeff German, 69, was found dead with stab wounds outside his home on September 3, police have searched the home of Clark County public administrator Robert Telles, 45, on Wednesday morning, September 7, in relation to the homicide. The journalist’s colleagues from Las Vegas Journal-Review shared pictures of Telles washing a similar car to police that they are looking for as part of the probe.

In a public update on Tuesday, September 6, Capt Dori Koren shared a few photos of a vehicle believed to be connected to the killing, a red or maroon 2007-2014 GMC Yukon Denali with chrome handles, a sunroof, and a luggage rack, as per ABC. Later that evening, Review-Journal reporters spotted a similar car in Telles' driveway matching the description. Following this, police reached Telles’ home around 6.30 am on September 7 and blocked off nearby streets. Then, at 9 am, police released a statement saying they were “currently serving search warrants. No further information will be provided at this time," according to Las Vegas Journal-Review. Meanwhile, a Journal-Review's journalist tweeted a short video of Telles arriving at his house as the journalists questioned why police "towed his vehicle."

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How are Telles and German connected?

In the year 2018, Telles ran for Clark County Public Administrator as a Democrat and he won by defeating Republican candidate Thomas Fougere. Telles took charge of the office in January 2019 to serve a four-year term which will end on January 2, 2023. However, Telles again ran for re-election in June 2022 but got defeated by Democrat Rita Reid. His campaign got into controversy after stories by the Review-Journal and specifically German, who wrote about multiple claims of bullying and favoritism within his office, got into the picture. 

The Review-Journal’s first investigative story on Telles was published in May of this year, as per Las Vegas Journal-Review. The story mentioned the 19-page confidential retaliation complaint filed with the Clark County Office of Diversity by estate coordinator Aleisha Goodwin, who gave out the details of Telles’ relationship with Roberta Lee-Kennett, a junior employee. Goodwin wrote, "The county has failed to protect employees from a mentally and emotionally abusive situation that has continued now for two years-plus, and the mental and physical health ramifications have been felt by most of the full-time employees in this department of only eight full-time employees." 

However, Telles denied the accusations and described German's stories as a "lying smear piece" on Twitter on June 18. In another tweet on the same day, he wrote, "*Wife hears rustling in the trash* Her: "Honey, is there a wild animal in the trash?" Me: "No, dear. Looks like it's @JGermanRJ going through our trash for his 4th story on me."