Key police testimony caps the first week of the ex-politician’s trial in the Las Vegas reporter’s death

LAS VEGAS – When the courtroom doors opened Friday and the bailiff called down the hall for a certain police detective, some jurors sat straighter in their seats.

Since the beginning of the murder trial of former Las Vegas-area politician Robert Telles, his legal team has made the same detective a key part of his defense, saying the officer implicated Telles in the killing of investigative reporter Jeff German by “ inserting himself”. ” in the investigation and “trying to dictate the direction” of the case.

Now, jurors have heard from the detective himself. Derek Jappe, who primarily investigates corruption cases by public officials and is a trained crisis negotiator, said homicide detectives called him for help when it came time to arrest Telles.

Jappe said they turned to him because of his training in crisis negotiations and because Telles met the detective while investigating reports of possible financial crimes in Telles’ office, including allegations made against Telles. Jappe told the jury he found no evidence of wrongdoing on Telles’ part.

Telles, a former elected county administrator of unclaimed property, has pleaded not guilty to murder and says he didn’t kill German, he was framed for the murder and that police mishandled the investigation. Those allegations did not come up during cross-examination, though Jappe could be back on the stand next week if called to testify by Telles’ attorneys.

“We presented the defense that our client wanted us to present,” Robert Draskovich said outside the courtroom Friday.

The September 2022 slaying of German, who spent 44 years covering Las Vegas mobsters and public officials at the Las Vegas Sun and then 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 US among 69 media workers killed worldwide that year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Prosecutors say articles written by German criticizing Telles and a embattled county office 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 their case to the state through Monday.

During the week, the jury also heard from forensic scientists who said Telles’ DNA was found under 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 brown SUV, like one that a Review-Journal photographer found Telles washing in front of his home a few blocks away. days after German’s death.

Members of German’s family, who have so far attended every day of the trial, have not spoken publicly about the killing and declined to comment as a group in court.

Telles is expected to testify in his defense next week. He faces life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.

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Yamat was a colleague of Jeff German at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.