Robert Telles takes the stand, addresses jury in murder trial

Former Clark County public administrator Robert Telles took the witness stand Wednesday, addressing the jury for over an hour and a half during his own murder trial over the killing of Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German.

“Please tell us — begin with your story,” Telles’ defense attorney, Robert Draskovich, said before taking a seat and allowing his client to address the jury.

Telles, 47, is standing trial on a count of murder with a deadly weapon against a victim 60 or older. He is accused of “lying in wait” while wearing an orange reflective vest and large, straw hat, before fatally stabbing German outside the reporter’s home on Sept. 2, 2022.

Prosecutors have said Telles killed German over articles the journalist had written about Telles’ conduct as the Clark County public administrator.

Telles took the witness stand shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday, wearing a gray suit, white shirt and gray and yellow tie.

Draskovich said Telles would be the defense team’s final witness. He testified without being asked direct questions from his lawyer, although he will be subject to cross examination from prosecutors.

“It’s a day I’ve been waiting for for nearly two years,” he said, turning to face jurors. “This thing’s been kind of a nightmare, frankly. … Right now I want to say unequivocally: I’m innocent. I didn’t kill Mr. German. And I’ve got a lot to share with you all.”

He spoke softly on Wednesday, addressing the jury and referring to a binder of notes in front of him.

Draskovich told the Review-Journal that Telles “wanted to relay his version of the events,” but he declined to comment when asked why Telles testified by way of narration.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Hamner made several objections throughout Telles’ testimony, stating that Telles was making hearsay statements and giving his opinion. District Judge Michelle Leavitt sustained Hamner’s objections, and told Telles to stick to facts and his personal knowledge.

“Your opinions are not really relevant,” Leavitt told Telles.

Much of Telles’ testimony concerned an alleged kickback scheme he reported to Las Vegas police when he was the Clark County public administrator.

‘Somebody framed me for this’

Telles told the jury he was looking into independent administrators in probate cases regarding property of people who died in Clark County. He alleged that the homes were being flipped for profit, without benefiting the families of the deceased, and that he was “fighting” Compass Realty & Management over the sales.

“Somebody framed me for this, and I believe it’s Compass Realty,” Telles said. “And I believe it’s for the work that I’ve done against them.”

Telles has long maintained he was framed for German’s killing. Compass Realty has previously responded to Telles’ allegations in a statement to the Review-Journal.

“Mr. Telles is a desperate man who has been charged with violently murdering a beloved local journalist. It appears he will do and say anything to escape answering for this charge,” the statement read in part. “For Mr. Telles to accuse Compass Realty & Management of anything is unconscionable and irresponsible, and Compass Realty & Management is evaluating its legal options.”

Metropolitan Police Department detective Derek Jappe testified last week that he investigated both the kickback scheme reported by Telles, and accusations that Telles himself was receiving kickbacks.

Jappe said he found no evidence that Telles received kickbacks, and the Clark County district attorney’s office determined there was not enough evidence for a prosecution in the alleged scheme Telles reported.

Telles also addressed some of the events after German was killed, including when Roberta Lee-Kennett, the woman he is alleged to have had an “inappropriate relationship” with, texted him a photo of the assailant’s maroon Yukon Denali after the image was released by police on Sept. 6, 2022.

Telles told the jury that the assailant’s car had different rims than his vehicle, and when he saw the image, he thought it was “clearly not my vehicle.”

He said that he was washing his cars on Sept. 6, 2022, to “take my mind off things.” He claimed he cut his finger after washing his cars, while preparing school lunch for his daughter.

Telles also told the jury that he used scissors in his home to cut off the tip of a superglue bottle, so he could superglue his cut finger. He said he forgot to clean the scissors.

His testimony is expected to continue when the trial resumes Thursday morning.

Part of the evidence found in Telles’ home was a pair of scissors that tested positive for blood, along with cut-up tennis shoes and cut-up pieces of a straw hat that prosecutors have said match the description of the assailant’s clothing. The tennis shoes also tested positive for blood.

Earlier in the day, the defense called Nichole Lofton, one of Telles’ former employees at the county office. Lofton testified that she experienced “bullying” after German’s articles were released, and that Telles never expressed any anger about the articles towards her.

A Planet Fitness manager, Terrence Jamison, testified that the day German was killed, gym records show that Telles checked into the gym near his home at 12:09 p.m.

German was attacked shortly after 11:18 a.m., according to Telles’ arrest report. Former Metro detective Cliff Mogg testified last week that police captured the assailant’s vehicle in surveillance footage after the attack, until about 11:50 a.m., when it was driving toward Telles’ neighborhood, less than two miles from the gym.

A juror asked Jamison if the gym had cameras of the check in area, but Jamison said that the footage from 2022 was no longer available.

On Wednesday morning, defense witness Robert Aguero, who owns a cell phone data analysis company, testified that during August 2022, the month before German was killed, Telles’ phone showed no “media location” data, which is tied to photographs on a phone.

Homicide detective Justine Gatus has previously testified that over 100 images were found on Telles’ phone, taken at an intersection near German’s house, which she characterized as Telles doing “surveillance.”

Under cross-examination, Aguero told Hamner that someone could turn off their location sharing settings to prevent location data from being stored on a phone.

“The power is in the holder of the phone, correct?” Hamner asked, raising his voice.

“Yes,” Aguero said.

Aguero also testified about text messages and calls Telles’ phone received the day German was killed. Hamner questioned him about the lack of outgoing messages from 8:48 a.m. until 2:05 p.m.

Aguero said the majority of the messages Telles received during that time period were automated “junk” messages.

On Tuesday, District Judge Michelle Leavitt questioned Telles about his desire to testify, informing him that he cannot be compelled to testify and that anything he says can be used by prosecutors in cross-examination.

Prosecutors rested their case on Monday, after the jury heard from 28 witnesses over four days of testimony.

Draskovich’s questioning and opening statements have focused on portraying Telles as a public official who was trying to expose corruption within the public administrator’s office.

The state’s evidence against Telles includes his DNA found underneath German’s fingernails, and surveillance footage of the assailant’s vehicle that matches the description of a car registered to Telles’ wife.

Telles’ testimony is scheduled to continue on Thursday, starting at 10:30 a.m.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.