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In article <t2l12l$3mt4k$132@news.freedyn.de>
<governor.swill@gmail.com> wrote:

LAS VEGAS — The DNA from a now-arrested elected Nevada official
was found at the scene of a Las Vegas reporter's slaying,
authorities said Thursday, revealing the official was also
"upset" about stories the reporter was pursuing.

Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles, 45, lost his re-
election bid in June amid fallout from a series of critical
articles Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff
German published earlier this year. Telles, who faces one count
of murder with a deadly weapon, made his first court appearance
Thursday and was denied bail.

"It's quite chilling," Justice of the Peace Elana Graham said,
"that the defendant's DNA is alleged to have been recovered from
the hands of the victim, presumably during the time in which he
was fighting for his life."

New details outlining what led police to close in on Telles as
their prime suspect five days after German, 69, was fatally
stabbed outside his home Saturday were revealed at a Thursday
news conference.

"Telles was upset about articles being written by German as an
investigative journalist that exposed potential wrongdoing," Las
Vegas police Capt. Dori Koren said, adding at the time of the
attack, Telles had recently discovered "there was additional
reporting that was pending."

Authorities took Telles into custody Wednesday evening following
an hourslong standoff at his home. He was hospitalized for what
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo described as self-inflicted
wounds. The arrest came just hours after the Las Vegas
Metropolitan Police Department had concluded a search of his
property and vehicles.

Authorities: Bloody shoes, DNA lead to Robert Telles' arrest
German was stabbed "in the late morning hours" Saturday outside
his northwest Las Vegas home, police said, but authorities did
not learn of his death until the following day when a 911 caller
reported finding German's body on the side of his house.

Authorities initially suspected the slaying might have been
carried out by a person casing German's neighborhood "to commit
other crimes." A security camera photo showed the killer
carrying a duffel bag and wearing an orange work shirt with
reflective stripes, gloves and a wide-brimmed straw hat.

JEFF GERMAN CASE:Las Vegas public official arrested on suspicion
of murder in investigative reporter's death

Investigators now believe Telles dressed that way to disguise
his identity and ties to German, Koren said Thursday.

While searching Telles' property Wednesday, detectives collected
a DNA sample from the suspect, which police said came back as a
positive match for DNA found at the scene of German's killing.
After receiving the results of the DNA testing later that
afternoon, police obtained an arrest warrant, leading to the
standoff.

Police also located a pair of shoes stained with dried blood and
a straw hat during their search, Koren said, but as of Thursday,
the weapon used in the attack had not been found.

Arrest report details deadly attack
A newly released arrest report obtained by the USA TODAY Network
outlined that German was stabbed multiple times in a surprise
attack. Authorities believe German fought back, detectives wrote
in the three-page report, because he had "defensive" wounds. The
suspect's DNA was found under German's fingernails.

On the morning of the attack, the report says, Telles had been
in German's neighborhood for about a half-hour before the death.
After the attack, the suspect stood up and "calmly walked" away
from German's home, the report states.

The suspect returned to German's house minutes later, appearing
"to look for something," the report reads.

MORE ON THE KILLING:Las Vegas investigative reporter stabbed to
death in altercation outside home, police say

A reporter who 'devoted his life' to journalism
German joined the Review-Journal in 2010 after more than two
decades at the Las Vegas Sun, where he was a columnist and
reporter who covered courts, politics, labor, government and
organized crime. He was 69.

In a statement, German’s family called him “a loving and loyal
brother, uncle and friend who devoted his life to his work
exposing wrongdoing in Las Vegas and beyond.”

“We’re shocked, saddened and angry about his death,” the
statement said. “Jeff was committed to seeking justice for
others and would appreciate the hard work by local police and
journalists in pursuing his killer. We look forward to seeing
justice done in this case.”

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hourslong shooting spree in Memphis, authorities say

Glenn Cook, executive editor of the Review-Journal, said in a
statement that “the arrest of Robert Telles is at once an
enormous relief and an outrage for the Review-Journal newsroom.”

“We are relieved Robert Telles is in custody and outraged that a
colleague appears to have been killed for reporting on an
elected official,” the statement said. “Journalists can’t do the
important work our communities require if they are afraid a
presentation of facts could lead to violent retribution. We
thank Las Vegas police for their urgency and hard work and for
immediately recognizing the terrible significance of Jeff’s
killing.”

“Hopefully, the Review-Journal, the German family and Jeff’s
many friends can begin the process of mourning and honoring a
great man and a brave reporter,” it said.

Suspect complained about news articles
Telles, a lawyer who practiced probate and estate law, won his
elected position in 2018, replacing a three-term public
administrator. He lost his June party primary to Assistant
Public Administrator Rita Reid, who faces a Republican
challenger in November. Telles’ term expires Dec. 31.

In the weeks before the election, German bylined reports about
an office “mired in turmoil and internal dissension” between
longtime employees and new hires under Telles’ leadership.

Telles blamed “old-timers” for exaggerating the extent of his
relationship with a female staffer and falsely claiming that he
mistreated them. He said all of his employees were "happy" and
they'd "almost doubled the productivity in the office."

Telles later posted Twitter complaints about German, the Review-
Journal reported, including claims in June that German was a
bully who was “obsessed” with him.

German, a reporter with a reputation for tenacity, was working
on follow-up reports, the newspaper said Wednesday, and recently
filed public records requests for emails and text messages
between Telles and three other county officials, including Reid
and consultant Michael Murphy.

Contributing: The Associated Press

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/08/las-vegas- dna-arrest-jeff-german-robert-telles/8025422001/

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