Former Clark County Politician's Trial Enters Pivotal Stage as Prosecution Rests

Murder In The Morning | Daily True Crime News

The trial of Robert Telles, the former Clark County public administrator accused of murdering Las Vegas journalist Jeff German, entered a critical phase as the prosecution neared the end of its case. This week’s testimony focused on evidence collected during the investigation, particularly the steps taken by law enforcement to tie Telles to the crime.
One of the key pieces of evidence presented was a series of text messages exchanged between Telles and his colleague, Roberta Lee-Kennett, after German’s death. The messages highlighted Telles’ concern about the similarities between his vehicle and the one identified as the suspect vehicle. “I am. Very worried,” Lee-Kennett texted, to which Telles responded, “My car has all matching wheel patterns.” The exchange concluded with Lee-Kennett noting, “[Expletive] … your car is identical.”
The prosecution then called Christie Baxter, a crime scene analyst supervisor for LVMPD. Baxter described the evidence collection process at the scene of German’s murder, including the handling of DNA swabs and blood samples.
She also recounted photographing Telles’ office during the investigation, with these images shown to the jury.
A significant portion of the day’s testimony came from Matthew Hovanec , a digital forensics expert, who discussed the extraction of data from Telles’ Google Pixel smartphone. Hovanec revealed that Telles had repeatedly searched for information related to Jeff German, including viewing his residence on Google Maps and Google Street View. He presented evidence showing that Telles’ phone stored 132 Street View images of German’s home, viewed approximately 20 days before the murder.
During cross-examination, Draskovich questioned the possibility of Telles’ phone being hacked, a theory that Hovanec dismissed due to a lack of supporting evidence. The prosecution emphasized that the search for German’s residence occurred on Telles’ work computer during office hours, indicating a preoccupation with the journalist.
The court then heard from LVMPD homicide detective Justine Gatus, who provided a comprehensive account of the investigation into German’s death.
Gatus detailed how her team followed up on tips, including ones that suggested Telles as a suspect.
She also described the discovery of foreign DNA under German’s fingernails, which eventually led to Telles being stopped for a sample.
The defense sought to undermine the prosecution’s case by pointing out the deletion of a body camera video from Telles’ traffic stop. Draskovich argued that this deletion was significant, but Gatus clarified that it was an automated system process and not a deliberate act by investigators.
After several hours of cross-examination, the prosecution rested its case. The defense is set to begin calling witnesses when the trial resumes on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. The trial’s outcome now rests on the jury’s interpretation of the extensive evidence presented over the past week.
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