A jury has convicted a former Las Vegas-area politician of the murder of a journalist.

A Nevada jury has convicted Robert Telles, a former local Democratic politician from Las Vegas, of murdering Jeff German, an investigative journalist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. German had written critical articles about Telles’s conduct while in office.

Following the verdict, Telles, 47, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years. Prosecutors chose not to pursue the death penalty, and Telles faced potential sentences ranging from life in prison without parole to 20 to 50 years.

Telles, visibly distressed, lowered his head and shook it as the verdict was announced in Clark County District Court. The jury deliberated for almost 12 hours after eight days of trial evidence, which began on August 12.

In response to the verdict, Glenn Cook, executive editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, commented that Telles had opted for a “premeditated revenge killing” instead of retreating from the public eye like many disgraced politicians. Cook also noted that the verdict represents a measure of justice for journalists worldwide, highlighting the dangerous nature of the profession and the rarity of accountability for those who harm journalists.

Since his arrest, Robert Telles had been held without bail after Jeff German was found fatally slashed and stabbed in the side yard of his home over Labor Day weekend in 2022.

German, a veteran investigative reporter with four decades of experience, was used to facing backlash from officials he investigated. Despite receiving threatening messages from Telles, a local Democratic official responsible for managing estates of deceased county residents without wills, German remained focused on his work.

Prosecutors revealed that Telles, frustrated by German’s critical coverage—portraying him as a bullying boss with an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate—decided to confront German. On September 2, 2022, Telles went to German’s house and fatally attacked him in broad daylight after discovering that his questionable electronic communications were about to be exposed.

Following the publication of German’s reports in May and June 2022, Telles lost his bid for a second term in the primary election.

In response to the verdict, Glenn Cook, German’s editor, remarked that German was killed for his dedication to holding officials accountable. His reporting not only highlighted the misconduct but also allowed voters to make informed decisions in future elections.

Staff at the Las Vegas Review-Journal watched the verdict being announced via live stream from their newsroom, with some visibly emotional and wiping away tears as the guilty verdict was read.

In his statement, Glenn Cook reminded the public that the community lost more than just a trusted journalist. “Jeff was a good man who left behind a loving family and cherished friends. His murder is a profound injustice, and he is deeply missed,” Cook said.

Following the reporting by German on Telles, four women who had been interviewed for the stories later filed a lawsuit against Telles and the county. They described a toxic workplace where employees were prohibited from speaking to each other, faced unwanted sexual advances from Telles, and endured harsh punishments for resisting. One plaintiff, Jessica Coleman, claimed Telles threatened her, saying she would die alone and be left undiscovered for a long time. This threat made her so fearful that she considered drastic measures to prompt an investigation. Telles has sought to dismiss the lawsuit, labeling it as false.

Coleman, who attended the trial, was seen sobbing as she left the courtroom after the verdict. “Finally. Finally,” she said, expressing relief that justice was being served.

Throughout the trial, Telles maintained his innocence, claiming he was targeted by a corrupt “old guard” real estate network. “I am not the kind of person who would stab someone. I didn’t kill Mr. German,” he testified, defending himself against the charges.

Telles’s claim that he was framed by a wide-ranging conspiracy involving local officials and a real estate company was dismissed as “unconscionable and irresponsible” by the company, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The prosecution presented evidence that Telles’s DNA was found under Jeff German’s fingernails. Additionally, Telles was linked to a maroon SUV seen near German’s home around the time of the murder. Investigators also discovered numerous photos of German’s residence and several pages of his personal records on Telles’s cellphone and computer, with timestamps indicating these were collected shortly before the killing.

Surveillance footage shown in court depicted an individual wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat, an oversized orange long-sleeve shirt, and carrying a large cloth bag entering the side yard of German’s home. Police later found cut-up pieces of a similar straw hat and gray athletic shoes at Telles’s residence, matching the attire seen in the video.

Jeff German was the only journalist murdered in the US in 2022, as reported by the Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based nonprofit that has recorded 17 media worker deaths in the US since 1992.