LAS VEGAS — When the courtroom doors swung open Friday and the bailiff called out into the hallway for a certain police detective, some jurors sat up straighter in their seats.
From the start of former Las Vegas-area politician Robert Telles’ murder trial, his team of lawyers have made this same detective a key part of his defense, saying the officer had implicated Telles in the killing of investigative reporter Jeff German by “inserting himself” into the investigation and “trying to dictate the direction” of the case.
Now, the jurors were hearing from the detective himself. Derek Jappe, who primarily investigates cases of corruption by public officials and is a trained crisis negotiator, said homicide detectives called him for help when it was time to arrest Telles.
Jappe said they turned to him because of his training in crisis negotiations, and because Telles had come to know the detective as he investigated reports of possible financial crimes within Telles’ office, including allegations made against Telles. Jappe told the jury he found no evidence of wrongdoing on Telles’ part.
Telles, formerly the elected county public administrator of unclaimed estates, has pleaded not guilty to murder and says he didn’t kill German, was framed for the crime and that police mishandled the investigation. Those allegations did not come up during cross examination, although Jappe could return to the stand next week if he’s called back to testify by Telles’ lawyers.
“We have been presenting the defense that our client has wanted us to present,” Robert Draskovich said Friday outside the courtroom.
The September 2022 killing of German, who spent 44 years covering Las Vegas mobsters and public officials at the Las Vegas Sun and then at the rival Las Vegas Review-Journal, stunned Sin City and the world of journalism.
German, 69, was found slashed and stabbed to death in a side yard of his home. He was the only reporter killed in the U.S. among 69 news media workers killed worldwide that year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Prosecutors say articles German wrote that were critical of Telles and a county office in turmoil provided a motive for the killing, and that German was working on another story when he died.
Testimony in Telles’ trial began Wednesday. Prosecutors are expected to continue presenting the state’s case through Monday.
Throughout the week, the jury also heard from forensic scientists who said Telles’ DNA was found beneath the victim’s fingernails. And they were shown video and photo evidence, including security footage of the suspect driving through German’s neighborhood in a maroon SUV, like one that a Review-Journal photographer found Telles washing outside his home several days after German’s death.
German’s family members, who have so far attended each day of the trial, have not spoken publicly about the killing and have declined as a group in court to comment.
Telles is expected to testify in his defense next week. He faces life in prison if he’s convicted. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.
___
Yamat was a colleague of Jeff German at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.