Question of the Day - 12 March 2024

Jeff German was a longtime investigative reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Las Vegas Sun.

When he was stabbed to death in front of his home in September 2022, he'd just turned 70. His career had spanned more than 40 years, starting in Las Vegas at the Sun writing about government, politics, and crime for two decades. He was a 27-year-old reporter when the terrible MGM fire took place in 1980; he covered that extensively. The Sun laid him off in 2009 and a year later, he went to work at the R-J, where he spearheaded a number of major stories, including the mass shooting in 2017. He also wrote a book, Murder in Sin City: The Death of a Las Vegas Casino Boss, the casino boss being Ted Binion. 

At the time of German's murder, he was investigating and reporting on the alleged toxic working environment -- poor management, sexual harassment, and other misconduct -- in the office of the Clark County Public Administrator, Robert Telles.

Telles has been charged with German's murder and his trial is scheduled to begin later this month. He's steadfastly maintained his innocence, claiming he's being framed, though plenty of evidence ties him to the crime. German's fellow Review-Journal investigative reporters worked tirelessly for days after the murder, tracking down who they believe to be the killer.

"48 Hours" did an hour-long special on the murder a few weeks ago, which included a jailhouse interview with Telles. 

We knew of Jeff German, both by reputation and having seen him at various events spanning the decades, but unlike a number of other Sun and R-J writers, we never worked with him. We weren't involved in his book, which was published by Avon in 2001. 

Since we don't have anything personal or inside to add to this story, we asked Canada Roy, a longtime LVA subscriber and correspondent, Las Vegas aficionado, and a criminal investigator in British Columbia for 28 of his 33-year government career, to comment on the show and what he saw. 

Here's what Roy told us. 

I was surprised it was a stabbing. A gun is always the default thought whenever I think of a murder in Las Vegas and/or the U.S. Here in Canada, the default is a knife. Gun murders up here are usually reserved for criminals killing other criminals. Occasionally, a farmer or small-town resident up here will use a shotgun in a crime of passion.

Despite the grainy [surveillance] video, you could see the big flash of blood when German's killer hit one or both of the major blood vessels in his neck. Tough way to go.

I knew there were improprieties in Telles' county office, but I didn't know he was the type of bully (picking on women) portrayed on "48 Hours." Those poor ladies have PTSD from both the bullying and the guilt over German's murder. They deserve a couple of years of intense therapy from a good psychologist. 

I certainly didn't know there was an affair involved with one of Telles' subordinates in his office.

I knew German specialized in investigative reporting. I thought about how many U.S. papers still have true investigative reporting. Heck, it was getting pretty rare 20 years ago. 

I didn't realize German had done investigative reporting for so long in Las Vegas. Lots of juicy material covering the Mob. It wouldn't surprise me if a Mob type didn't murder him. Intimidate, slash tires, even a punch in the face, that wouldn't surprise me. After all, as they might say in any Mob movie, "Killin' newspaper men just ain't good for business. Besides, him and me like to chase skirts together."

I'm glad "48 Hours" showed the efforts of German's colleagues and that investigating isn't rocket science. It's not in the least bit mystifying or magical. A little persistence and logic are 90% of it. Of course, the ones who get caught are the stupid and/or impatient criminals. For example, in this case, Telles' disguise was great. But why would he drive a family car to kill someone? Or why didn't he park it a good distance away?

It doesn't surprise me that German's colleagues easily solved the case in a couple days (if Telles is convicted, of course). It's what they do every day for a living, and the criminal (like most) was stupid, sloppy, and, above all, rushed.

As soon as I saw that the reporters tracked the vehicle to Telles' residence, my immediate thought was, "If the police know this, they have enough for a search warrant."  Sure enough, the next scene was all about the warrant.  

The true test of a search warrant isn't having it granted by a local justice of the peace or judge. The true test comes at trial, where the trial judge has to decide if the police/law enforcement affidavit requesting the search warrant was sufficient for it to be issued by the JP or judge months or years ago.  

The trial judge must rule that the affidavit (and only the affidavit) showed probable cause that evidence would be found in the house. The fact that evidence was found during the execution of the search warrant doesn't matter. If the affidavit was insufficient, the evidence found during the search could all be ruled inadmissible at trial.

That said, the cops were watching the house/Telles prior to applying for the warrant. Among other things, they were watching to see if Telles made a trip to the local dump or desert to dispose of his disguise, etc. Bottom line, they were able to include in the affidavit that they had Telles and his residence under continual surveillance from a certain time/date after the murder up to the time they applied to the court for the warrant. They could state that no one on the surveillance team saw any of the disguise, etc., leave the house. That, combined with the vehicle at both houses, would be enough for the court to rule that there was probable cause that evidence would be found at Telles' residence.

Bottom line, whoever actually wrote the affidavit requesting the search warrant would have royally screwed up to have it thrown out at the upcoming trial. Unless the affidavit has the wrong execution date or house address on it, which does happen, I'm betting heavily on the YES that the search warrant is upheld at trial.

From what I could see, Telles isn't a very good liar. He had a couple of answers at the ready when "48 Hours" interviewed him in jail. Typical lies are only about two questions deep. When asked about how someone would get Telles' DNA and then manage to plant it under German's fingernails, Telles' explanations immediately turned into almost unintelligible gibberish.

As soon as Telles found out his texts and emails to his lover were going to be published, he allegedly went, as they say in Nevada, on tilt. If he'd just absorbed the embarrassment and resulting fallout, he could have carried on and begun a new chapter in his life. Instead, again once convicted, he'll almost certainly spend the rest of his life, as deserved, in prison.