Robert Tells, the Vegas officer charged with Jeff German's murder, is seen handcuffed in an attempted suicide.

Robert Tells, the Vegas officer charged with Jeff German's murder, is seen handcuffed in an attempted suicide.

 A Las Vegas officer accused of killing a journalist who wrote negative stories about him was all smiles during his first court appearance Tuesday — as prosecutors slapped him with intentional murder was.

Disgraced Clark County Public Administrator Robert Tells, wearing handcuffs on his hands and arms, smiled and nodded at the judge during his brief concussion. Telles, 45, is accused of "lurking" outside the home of 69-year-old Jeff German on September 2 and stabbing the veteran journalist to death.

According to a criminal complaint filed Monday, prosecutors said the crime was a "premeditated, intentional and premeditated" murder. The German of Las Vegas Review-Journal has covered public corruption and previously exposed the workplace wrongdoings of Telles, who is also married to real estate agent Roberta Lee-Kenneth, 45.

On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolson told reporters he did not anticipate making additional charges against Telles. Telles' defense attorney, Travis Shelter, "needs more time" and asked the judge to continue the trial for another week, which he granted.

"We consider him a flight risk and a danger to the community, so when it comes to bail, we argue for a much higher bail," Volson said after the court hearing.

Investigators said the DNA found under the German's nails matched samples taken from Tails. 

At a September 8 press conference, Captain Dory Koren, chief of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide and Sex Crime Bureau, said investigators found a straw hat and gray sneakers cut into several pieces at Telles' home. It was an "attempt to destroy the evidence".

Video surveillance from the area of ​​the crime shows a man wearing a large straw hat, orange shirt, reflective stripes, black pants and gray sneakers entering and leaving the German home on Sept. 3. 

The German was found unresponsive and lying outside his home at 11:30 p.m.

At the time of his death, the German was seeking more information, including text messages sent by Tels. The public administrator, a Democrat, was running for re-election when the German stories were first published. He then lost the June primary. Tels is scheduled to appear in court again on 20 September.

Robert Tells charged with domestic violence after fight with wife in car, home

In the year 2020, a physical fight began in a casino between elected official Robert Telles and his wife, continued in their car on the way home and led to his arrest, records show.

Robert Telles, accused of killing Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German, was charged with domestic battery and resisting police and was arrested on March 1, 2020, on two counts.

The domestic charges were dismissed "in a plea deal", and Tels, 45, was convicted on September 30, 2020, and sentenced to 90 days in prison. He was ordered to pay a $418 fine and attend a "corrective thinking" class. Focuses on stress management and relationships and avoidance of problems, show records and interviews. 

In the year to March 30, 2021, TELES completed the class and the case was dismissed, court documents show.

Emergency dispatch records show officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were called to the Clark County Public Administrator's home in Pecol Ranch just after 11 p.m. On February 29, 2020. Tails owner Mai Ismail is listed as the caller.

Ishmael told officers she and Telles were at the Bellagio, where he became drunk and began arguing with her. They decided to leave. As Ishmael walked home, Telles grabbed her by the neck and hit her in the arm, according to the arrest report. He also tried to break things in the car.


Sam

Posted by Sam