He covered rioters, murderers, corrupt officials, and corrupt government agencies. And in recent months, he’s written articles about bullying and hostility in obscure offices run by elected county officials.
An elected county official he wrote — Clark County administrator Robert Telles — is now indicted for murder, said Clark County sheriff Joseph Lombardo. Lombardo) announced Thursday.
“This is a horrifying and deafening murder that has had a profound effect on Las Vegas. All murders are tragic, but the murder of a journalist is particularly troubling,” Lombardo said.
Those who knew and worked with German described him as the ideal example of an investigative reporter.
“Jeff is the ultimate Vegas reporter. He’s been here for 30 years, covering everything from riots to the MGM Grand fires to the October 1st shooting (music festival 2017). I have been,” he said. Review-Journal reporter Arthur Kane. “He’s basically a 100% aggressive reporter, and this was the kind of job he’d been trying to do for as long as he could.”
Investigators knew Telles was offended by German for his report and put him on a list of people of interest, said Capt. Drikollen of the Las Vegas Metro Police Department. We quickly hooked up German to the suspect’s car, found blood on his shoes and his DNA at the crime scene. All the evidence led to his arrest, Coren said.
The German was stabbed seven times, Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Scow said in court Thursday in Telles. DNA evidence was found under the journalist’s fingernails, he said. .
“The defendant’s DNA is said to have been recovered from the victim’s hands, presumably when he was fighting for his life,” Graham said, adding that the German had “a defensive stance on his hands and arms.” He pointed out that there were several wounds.
Telles was denied bail and is scheduled to appear in court on September 13.
Despite years of reporting on gangsters, murderers and underworld figures, the person charged with his murder was a local elected official, said CNN’s top law enforcement and intelligence analyst John. Miller pointed out.
“But when I look at Jeff German, mobs, criminal gangs, murderers, desert stories about buried gold, I struggled for a long time when asked who was behind Jeff German’s murder. I wouldn’t have been on the list before I got to the Civil Servant doing the tedious job of handling people’s will and property in an office where people called him a bully.
Over 30 Years of Reporting at Sin City
Another focus of his work was the close relationship between the Vegas mob and casinos over the decades, including the murder of Vegas casino magnate Ted Binion in 1998.
CNN analyst Miller said he worked with the Germans on the Binion story and praised his work.
“He was part of a small club of American reporters, an investigative reporter covering casinos, corruption and everything in the underbelly of places like Las Vegas. He did it fearlessly. Accurate.” to,” said Miller.
In a statement Thursday, the bereaved family thanked “everyone who has poured out their love, support and recognition for Jeff and his lifelong work,” The Review Journal reported.
“Jeff was a loving and loyal brother, uncle and friend who has dedicated his life to the work of exposing wrongdoing in Las Vegas and beyond. We are shocked and saddened by his death. Jeff is dedicated to seeking justice for others and appreciates the hard work by local police and journalists to track down the killer.I hope justice is done in this case. looking forward to it.
Journalist organization leaders said the killings highlighted the dangers facing reporters.
“When we say journalism is a risky business, we are usually talking about international crises and foreign correspondents, but here in the big cities of the United States, dark forces are sinking in to stop its publication. We’re seeing the depth of potential, it’s true,” said Jen Judson, president of the National Press Club and Gil Klein, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute.
CNN’s Chuck Johnston and Carol Alvarado contributed to this report.
Source: www.cnn.com
