John Locher / AP
Clark County Public Administrator Robert “Rob” Telles is escorted into court, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, in Las Vegas. Telles was arrested Wednesday in the fatal stabbing of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German, whose investigations of the official’s work preceded his primary election loss in June.
Monday, Sept. 12, 2022 | 2:43 p.m.
Jeff German
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Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles, who was arrested last week in the death of a Las Vegas investigative reporter, has been formally charged with murder, according to a criminal complaint.
Telles, 45, is accused of “lying in wait” before fatally stabbing Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German, 69, according to the criminal complaint filed today in Las Vegas Justice Court.
German was killed outside his Las Vegas home Sept. 2, police said. His body wasn’t discovered until the next day.
Metro Police on Wednesday arrested Telles on a count of open murder hours after searching his home in the northwest valley. Detectives linked DNA at the crime scene to Telles, police said.
German had written stories detailing an alleged hostile work environment at the public administrator’s office and an alleged inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. The public administrator deals with probate estates after a person dies.
Telles has denied the allegations and expressed frustration via Twitter with German and his reporting.
After the stories were published, Telles placed third in the June’s Democratic primary and became a lame duck officeholder.
German was reporting on another story about Telles at the time he was killed, police said.
Investigators on Monday released surveillance footage taken in German’s neighborhood showing a suspect wearing a straw hat, a bright orange shirt, gloves and gray sneakers.
Detectives linked the suspect to a maroon GMC Yukon SUV.
A search of Telles’ home early Wednesday yielded a cut up hat and bloodied sneakers, similar to those worn by the suspect, police said. Police also confirmed a similar GMC was owned by Telles’ wife.
Telles is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday, according to his online case file.
Travis Shetler, listed in court records as Telles’ lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
