LAS VEGAS (Scripps News Las Vegas) — New evidence presented in the criminal case against former Clark County public administrator Robert Telles includes a death threat voicemail made to slain Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German.
German received the voicemail in February 2022, prosecutor Pamela Weckerly explained in court on Tuesday.
Robert Telles appears in court Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Scripps News Las Vegas/Jaewon Jung)
Telles is accused of killing the longtime Las Vegas reporter who was found stabbed to death outside his home in early September 2022. At the time of his death, investigators said German was working on a series of reports detailing allegations of misconduct against Telles.
Robert Draskovich, the attorney defending Telles, said he was made aware of the voicemail and listened to it with his client.
According to Draskovich, the voicemail was related to an article German wrote about extremism in America. He told Scripps News Las Vegas the recording is between 40-45 seconds and laced with expletives and references to President Joe Biden.
He described the male caller’s voice as higher-pitched than his client, telling reporters he did not believe it was Telles’ voice on the phone.
After the hearing, an employee at the public administrator’s office told Scripps News Las Vegas the call was concerning, but she hopes DNA evidence against Telles will prevail at trial.
Telles is still scheduled to go to trial on March 18. Draskovich wants to push that date back given that the search of German’s devices is ongoing.
An attorney for the Review-Journal told Judge Michelle Leavitt they’ve made “substantial” progress in going through the devices.
In a court hearing last week, a representative for the newspaper said lawyers were still going through the first of six devices that include German’s phone, four laptops and a hard drive. They estimated it could take six to eight months to review all of it.
Weckerly added that the state maintains delays are due to Telles’ repeated attempts to get Leavitt removed from his case, along with other motions that prohibited the Review-Journal from examining the contents of German’s devices.
Telles’ multiple motions to get Leavitt off the case were made before he hired Draskovich.
The next hearing was set for March 6.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Las Vegas, an E.W. Scripps Company.
