Robert Telles/Jeff German Murder Trial Day 2

**Trial of Former Politician Accused of Murdering Las Vegas Journalist Continues into Day Four**

The trial of Robert Telles, a former politician accused of murdering long-time Las Vegas investigative journalist Jeff German in 2022, entered its fourth day with a continuation of witness testimonies and cross-examinations.

### Opening Arguments and Defense Strategy

During the opening arguments on Wednesday, Defense Attorney Robert Draskovich set the tone, stating, "We all know killing a journalist does not kill a story." The courtroom atmosphere on the third day was described as somewhat subdued yet dramatic by those in attendance. The defense has adopted a strategy aimed at demonstrating that Telles was framed for German’s murder. Draskovich suggested that the extensive presence of law enforcement at the crime scene provided ample opportunity for evidence to be planted. Stephanie Smissen, a senior crime scene analyst with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, was questioned by the defense regarding details at the crime scene but was unable to definitively identify who else was present or what precisely was happening at the time.

The day concluded with the testimony of retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department detective Cliff Mogg, who was questioned about video evidence showing a red Yukon SUV traveling to and from the crime scene. The defense planned to cross-examine Mogg further on Thursday.

### Cross-Examination of Retired Detective Cliff Mogg

On Thursday, Mogg returned to the stand at around 11:15 a.m., where Draskovich questioned him about his investigation of vehicles potentially involved in German's murder. The defense attorney inquired about Mogg’s knowledge regarding the previous locations of the SUV and the accuracy of the video timestamps. Mogg explained that not all houses have cameras, and even if they do, the footage may not be relevant to the case. Draskovich further pressed Mogg on the significance of the red Yukon SUV, pointing out that there were 67 similar vehicles in the Las Vegas area. Mogg defended his testimony by stating that evidence recovered from Telles’ residence during a search warrant confirmed his belief that the vehicle was involved in the murder.

### Testimony of Medical Examiner Dr. Stephanie Yagi

After a lunch recess, the court resumed with testimony from Dr. Stephanie Yagi, a medical examiner and forensic pathologist at the Clark County Coroner’s Office. Dr. Yagi described the process of transporting a body from a crime scene to the Coroner’s Office and conducting an autopsy. She presented graphic autopsy photos of Jeff German, highlighting two sharp force injuries to his neck, one of which was fatal. The prosecution showed additional images of injuries to German’s neck and torso, with Dr. Yagi explaining that the cause of death was multiple sharp-force injuries and the manner of death was ruled as homicide.

Draskovich cross-examined Dr. Yagi, focusing on the amount of blood that the wounds would have produced and probing for details about the possible murder weapon. However, Dr. Yagi did not commit to identifying a specific weapon, noting that the deepest wound was three inches in depth.

### Crime Scene Analyst Jennifer Manning’s Testimony

Jennifer Manning, a senior crime scene analyst with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, was the next witness called to the stand. Manning described the process of collecting fingernail clippings as evidence and presented photos of Telles taken during the investigation. These images showed an injury on Telles’ finger, which was presented to the court. During cross-examination, Draskovich asked Manning to display a pair of jeans taken from Telles, which she did while wearing a mask and gloves. Manning also noted that Telles had a bruise on his right shoulder, which was photographed but initially not included in the evidence.

### Real Estate Agent Testimony

The next witness, Zackary Schilling, a real estate agent, was called to testify about his interactions with Telles. Schilling described how he had worked with Telles on the sale of probate houses after Telles was elected as Clark County public administrator in 2020. He recalled seeing media reports and images related to the murder suspect and vehicle, which he found reminiscent of Telles. Schilling stated that the images prompted him to contact Crimestoppers before Telles’ arrest.

During cross-examination, Draskovich questioned Schilling about a previous disagreement with Telles and suggested that Schilling’s report to authorities may have been influenced by personal bias. Schilling denied any malice towards Telles, insisting that his report was not motivated by their past interactions.

### Further Testimonies and Evidence Presentation

Kristen Riffle, who worked with Schilling at a Las Vegas real estate agency, was the next to testify, providing additional context on the timeline leading to Schilling’s report. She stated that it was the image of the maroon SUV, rather than the video of the suspect, that prompted Schilling to contact Crimestoppers.

Edgar Nahum, a homicide detective with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, then took the stand, detailing the process of investigating German’s homicide. Nahum described the search of Telles’ residence, where a zip-lock bag containing plastic and a shoe were found under a recliner in the living room. Photos comparing the shoe found with the one seen in surveillance footage were shown to the court.

Following Nahum’s testimony, Detective James Milligan, who was responsible for documenting evidence during the search of Telles’ home, testified about the discovery of a grey duffel bag in a plastic container. This bag was shown alongside a photo of the suspect carrying a similar duffel bag.

Finally, Detective John Hoffman testified about evidence found in Telles’ garage, including a cut-up hat resembling one worn by the suspect. During cross-examination, Draskovich asked Hoffman whether he had moved the bag before photographing it, to which Hoffman confirmed that he had.

### Recess and Continuation of the Trial

The court recessed just before 5 p.m. on Thursday, with plans to reconvene at 9:30 a.m. on Friday.

### Background on Robert Telles and Jeff German

Robert Telles is a lawyer and former public official with Clark County, where he has lived for at least 20 years. Telles was the subject of several investigative stories by Jeff German, an experienced investigative journalist with the Las Vegas Review-Journal. German had been reporting on controversies surrounding Telles’ office, which included allegations of bullying and retaliation.

Jeff German was a respected journalist known for his impactful investigations into various aspects of Southern Nevada life. He was found stabbed to death on Labor Day weekend in 2022, with multiple sharp-force injuries to his neck and torso.