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- [00:07]
Vanessa Richardson
This is Crime House. Determination can get you far in life. When you focus on a goal and go after it with everything you have, success often follows. There's no denying that Robert Telles was a determined man. Once he decided he wanted something, he usually got it. Thanks to his unwavering dedication, Robert's political career was off to a promising start. But just because he was doing well, it didn't mean he had integrity. Throughout his career, Robert had left a trail of harassment and abuse. When reporter Jeff German finally exposed that behavior in May of 2022, Robert couldn't take it. As with everything in his life, he was determined to get his way. And if that meant getting rid of Jeff German permanently, he was willing to do it. The human mind is powerful. It shapes how we think, feel, love and hate. But sometimes it drives people to commit the unthinkable. This is Killer Minds, a Crime House original. I'm Vanessa Richardson.
- [01:32]
Dr. Tristan Ingalls
And I'm Dr. Tristan Ingalls. Every Monday and Thursday, we uncover the darkest minds in history. Analyzing what makes a killer Crime House.
- [01:40]
Vanessa Richardson
Is made possible by you. Please rate, review and follow Killer Minds to enhance your listening experience with ad free early access to each two part series and bonus content. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. A warning. This episode contains descriptions of murder and attempts at suicide. Listener discretion is advised. Today we conclude our deep dive into Robert Telles, a disgraced politician from the Las Vegas area. In the spring of 2022, investigative reporter Jeff German exposed Robert for fostering a toxic work environment and allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with one of his employees. In the wake of Jeff's expose, Robert lost his re election bid for Clark county public administrator. But rather than change his ways and try again next time, Robert focused his anger on the man he blamed for his troubles and killed him in cold blood.
- [02:41]
Dr. Tristan Ingalls
As Vanessa takes you through the story, I'll be talking about things like Robert's obsession with Jeff German in the wake of his downfall, his refusal to own up to his crimes, and and why he resorted to an unbelievable conspiracy theory to proclaim his innocence.
- [02:57]
Vanessa Richardson
And as always, we'll be asking the question, what makes a killer?
- [03:06]
Nicole Lappin
Hey there, it's Nicole Lapman. This week on Crime House, it's a brand new episode of Scams, Money and murder, diving into the wolf of Wall street himself. Want to get deeper into these unbelievable stories? Catch our recent episode with journalist Jessica Pressler, the reporter who uncovered the real story of Ann Delvey. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [03:31]
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- [04:04]
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- [04:35]
Vanessa Richardson
When 42 year old Robert Telles started serving as the Clark County Public Administrator in January 2019, it seemed like he was the perfect man for the job. His staff in Las Vegas was excited and hopeful that Robert would change the office for the better. The but in Robert's determination to do things his way, he did more than alienate longtime employees. Allegedly, he abused them and there was a lot of evidence that he was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with one of his subordinates, 42 year old Roberta Lee Kennett. For the next three years, many of Robert's employees tried to sound the alarm, but their complaints were ignored. So eventually they decided to take matters into their own hands. In early 2022, Robert's 63 year old Rita Reed decided to run against him in the Democratic primary. But in order to win, Rita knew she had to expose the truth about Robert. So her colleague Alicia Goodwin enlisted the help of an investigative journalist, 68 year old Jeff German. Jeff had spent over 30 years covering the biggest stories in Las Vegas and he felt like this would be one of them. He did his due diligence to corroborate Rita and the other workers claims, and on May 16, 2020, he published a bombshell article on the dysfunctional, abusive environment Robert had cultivated. Along with the explosive allegations against him. Jeff also gave Robert the opportunity to give his perspective, and although Robert denied any wrongdoing, his words fell flat. When the primary election was held that June, Rita defeated Robert, ending his political career. But Robert didn't blame Rita for his downfall. He blamed Jeff German.
- [06:27]
Dr. Tristan Ingalls
When Robert refuses to own his actions and then blames the journalist who exposed them, it's not really just about denial. It's projection and externalizing blame. Projection is a psychological defense mechanism in which someone attributes their own unacceptable feelings, impulses or flaws to someone else. It's a subconscious form of self protection. He can't tolerate a truth about himself, so he's pinning it on another person. And he's got an established pattern of using projection and aggression as defenses against any perceived threat to his image. Some might be wondering why he's targeting Jeff and not his whistleblower Rita, whom he is already clearly retaliating against. Well, that really comes down to power dynamics yet again. Rita was a subordinate and a woman and she was running against him. If she had come out with this publicly on her own, he could easily dismiss it by preying on gender bias and alleging it was a smear campaign resulting from political rivalry. But Jeff, he's a respected journalist with credibility and he's a symbol of institutional accountability. Jeff represents a system Robert cannot manipulate. And Jeff made these allegations public with the power of the press. And that's why Jeff became the target.
- [07:47]
Vanessa Richardson
Well, in Robert's mind, he may have felt like he had reason to be angry. In addition to ending Robert's re election chances, Jeff's article forced the county government to hire an outside consultant to investigate Robert's office. Although Robert had lost the election, he still had about six months left in his term. If the problems were as bad as the article claimed, it was important to ensure everyone's safety and well being for the rest of Robert's time in office. So the county sent the most trustworthy consultant they knew. A man named Mike Murphy. He was a former police officer coroner, and he had spent time as the forensics director of the national center for Missing and Exploited children in Washington D.C. after retiring to Las Vegas, Mike and his wife created a consulting firm that helped straighten out problematic departments. All to say he was the right person to evaluate the issues Robert had allegedly created. And right away, he could tell he was stepping into a volatile situation. The environment was so tense, Mike thought it could erupt into violence. It was serious enough for him to start carrying a concealed weapon. Something Mike had rarely done since retiring as a police officer. Robert didn't appreciate Mike's presence. Although he publicly welcomed Mike's input, he refused to implement any of the changes Mike suggested. Instead, he spent his time lashing out at Jeff German over social media. In the days after his loss in the primary election, Robert made a series of angry posts on Twitter. He accused Jeff of being obsessed with him, joking that the reporter was rooting around his trash like a wild animal. Jeff probably wasn't actually doing that. Of course, Robert was trying to paint him as some kind of unhinged stalker. In reality, it seemed like Robert was the one who was obsessed with Jeff.
- [09:42]
Dr. Tristan Ingalls
Let's talk about Robert's obsessions here. Jeff may have inflicted what we call a narcissistic injury, which is a wound to Robert's self esteem. And it's caused by perceived disrespect, exposure, or loss of control. People with a narcissistic trait structure don't just get hurt. They obsessively ruminate on how to restore their dominance. Jeff challenged the version of reality Robert needed others to believe. And worse, people believed Jeff because if they didn't, Mike would not have been brought in to oversee his final months in office. In cases like this, the obsession often comes with self righteousness. Robert may have genuinely believed he was the victim, that he was framed, targeted, unfairly attacked. That belief allows people to escalate while still seeing themselves as the wronged party. So fixation like Robert's isn't about logic. It's about ego collapse, paranoia, and a need to destroy the source of his shame.
- [10:40]
Vanessa Richardson
Well, it was definitely clear that Robert hated Jeff for writing that article. And for Jeff, it may have been a little personal, too. Growing up, he developed an intense distrust of politicians. Jeff felt like his job was to hold powerful people accountable for their actions. And in his mind, that didn't end with his. Even after the election, Jeff kept investigating Robert. So far, he hadn't found any concrete proof of Robert's alleged relationship with one of his subordinates, Roberta Lee Kennett. There was a lot of evidence that made it seem likely, such as the video of them getting close in the backseat of Roberta's car. But it wasn't definitive. So Jeff tried to find a paper trail. First, he made a public records request for any emails they sent to each other on their government accounts. Jeff searched through those, but Robert and Roberta had kept everything professional via email. At least. Jeff wasn't giving up, though. He learned that the public administrator's office used an internal system for instant messaging. Jeff wondered if maybe Robert and Roberta had been a little more careless on there. So at some point after the election, probably around August20, he made another request for those records. On September 1, an attorney from Clark county notified Robert and Roberta that Jeff's request had been approved. The messages would be handed over on September 6, but Jeff would never get the chance to read them.
- [12:16]
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- [13:04]
Vanessa Richardson
After Robert Telles lost his primary election for the Clark County Public Administrator In June 2022, the 45 year old was full of rage. He was especially angry at Jeff German, the 69 year old investigative reporter who had exposed the toxic culture in Robert's office. Even after the primary, Jeff wouldn't let up. On September 1, he received permission to view communications between Robert and his alleged mistress, 45 year old Roberta Lee Kennett, on their workplace messaging system. But the files wouldn't be ready for him to view for another five days. However, before Jeff got access to them. Tragedy struck. On the evening of September 2, 2022, one of Jeff's neighbors noticed that he'd left his garage door open right away. The neighbor was concerned. They'd been neighbors for over 25 years and Jeff never did that. He wondered if Jeff had gone out of town and forgotten to close the garage as he left. So he sent Jeff a text and got no response. Wanting to be helpful, the neighbor went over that night and manually closed the door himself. Around 10:30 the following morning, September 3rd, Jeff's neighbor went back over to see if everything was okay. Everything was quiet, so the man walked around the side of the house where he noticed Jeff's body in the bushes lying in a dried pool of blood. The panicked neighbor called the police, who arrived a few minutes later. It appeared that Jeff had been dead for about 24 hours. His neighbor just hadn't seen Jeff's body when he went over the night before. It was clear that Jeff had been stabbed to death. The assault was brutal. The first wound was to Jeff's throat and carotid artery, which would have likely been fatal. But even after Jeff fell backwards into the bushes, the attacker kept stabbing him at least 9.
- [15:09]
Dr. Tristan Ingalls
So the manner in which Jeff was killed offers real psychological insight into the offender. It was personal, emotional, and even obsessive. Let's look at the facts. Stabbing someone after they have already been mortally wounded is violence resulting from rage. There also could be some symbolism to this attack as well. Injuries to the throat or mouth often represent an attempt to silence the victim. If Robert was the killer, then attacking the voice of the journalist who exposed him fits the symbolic logic of the crime. The continued attack also fits with his obsession and rage. And lastly, the setting indicates premeditation. It was at his home. It's not as though this occurred from happenstance. And this is particularly true if there was no evidence of another crime, like a burglary or a robbery gone wrong. This truly does appear as a targeted personal act of displaced rage.
- [16:05]
Vanessa Richardson
Well, the police initially wondered if Jeff had been the victim of a violent robbery. But when they checked his pockets, his phone, keys, and wallet were all there. The house was neat. There was no sign of forced entry, and Jeff's car was still in the garage. So whoever had killed him was not trying to steal from him. It seemed like this was a targeted attack and his killer had been caught on video. In the hours following the attack, the police received security camera footage from one of Jeff's neighbors, who. The video showed a short man in a broad straw sun hat and a reflective orange shirt parking just outside Jeff's cul de sac. They were driving a GMC Denali. He seemed to be dressed like a construction worker, and a road near Jeff's house was in development. However, investigators also noticed that the man was wearing designer jeans and nice tennis shoes. Not exactly the kind of thing you'd wear for a job like that. It was clear that whoever this man was, he was trying to disguise himself. The surveillance footage showed the man walking around the neighborhood for a little while. Then he hid behind a gate that led to Jeff's side yard. A few minutes later, the camera recorded Jeff opening his garage, and when he walked outside, the attacker jumped him. Then he ran back to his car and drove away. On September 5, the police released images of the attacker and his car. When the news about his murder first broke, some of Jeff's co workers and a few of the employees at the public administrator's office wondered if Robert Telles was involved. It seemed hard to believe. Not only was Robert a public figure, but the story just wasn't that serious in the grand scheme of things. Although Jeff's article had ended Robert's political career, none of his actions were jailworthy. Not only that but things like this just didn't happen to journalists in America. In the past 30 years, only a handful of reporters had been killed as retribution for articles they'd published. But when Robert's employees at the public administrator's office saw a picture of that car, they realized he had one just like it.
- [18:21]
Dr. Tristan Ingalls
Let's talk about what happens psychologically when someone you know, someone you've emailed, spoken to in hallways, worked closely with, is suddenly at the center of a murder investigation. Obviously, Robert wasn't well liked by his employees. He was reportedly an abusive boss who was seemingly committing all kinds of HR violations. But like I said in episode one, that doesn't always mean someone will become violent. And even his own employees were in disbelief. This disbelief can be explained by a few things. First, and most commonly experienced is cognitive dissonance. The brain is strugg to reconcile two different beliefs or realities. This can cause denial, numbness, and an obsessive need to retrace every experience that they'd ever had with him. There are some other psychological impacts of this. One of them is survivor's guilt. Especially for someone like Rita. She may feel indirectly responsible for this because she's the one who whistleblow and brought this story to Jeff in the first place. Of course, she is not at all to blame for this. But often people internalize that blame. The same can be true for any of his colleagues who may have known something was amiss and did nothing. Like all of the internal individuals that Rita reported to initially and was dismissed by. All of this can cause people to remain in disbelief initially and it can take time, and it's going to take some work to challenge this after something as shocking as this.
- [19:47]
Vanessa Richardson
In this case, Robert's employees went straight to the police with their suspicions. And they weren't the only ones putting the pieces together. Although the idea was far fetched, some of Jeff's colleagues at the Las Vegas Review Journal were starting to seriously consider that Robert did kill Jeff. One of the paper's editors, David Ferrara, noticed that the man in the surveillance footage had a distinctive gait. He compared it to a previous video of Robert that showed him walking. David couldn't believe it. Robert's gait was just like the man in the video. Not only that, but both men were short. Robert was 5 foot 7. It wasn't clear how tall the man in the video was, but he was barely taller than a sedan he walked by in the surveillance footage. Like Robert's employees, Jeff's colleagues also made the connection that Robert had the same car as the killer, a maroon GMC Denali. They contacted their own connections at the Las Vegas Metro Police Department, and the officers agreed that the reporters were onto something. Early on September 7, 2022, five days after Jeff German was murdered, police obtained a search warrant for Robert's house. They also had permission to obtain a DNA sample from him. Investigators had found genetic material under Jeff's fingernails. They wanted to see if it was a match for Robert, and at some point that morning, the police pulled him over for a traffic stop. Although he wasn't under arrest yet, they were allowed to take him into custody where they took his DNA sample. In the meantime, the police searched his home. They found shoes resembling the ones the killer was wearing in the security camera footage and a similar sun hat which had been cut into pieces. It wasn't enough to arrest him just yet. Because this was such a high profile case, the district attorney wanted to get the DNA results first. While they waited for those to come in, they let Robert go home. That proved to be a mistake. Later that afternoon, the DNA results came back. The genetic material found underneath Jeff German's fingernails was a match for Robert Telles. Around 6pm Officers descended on Robert's house to arrest him. But Robert wouldn't come out and they were hesitant to force their way inside because now he was threatening to take his own life.
- [22:22]
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- [22:51]
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- [23:24]
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- [24:21]
Vanessa Richardson
On September 7, 2022, police arrived at Robert Tellis home to arrest him for the murder of J.E. sherman. But bringing the 45 year old Clark county public administrator into custody wouldn't be easy. When the officers knocked on his door, Robert wouldn't come out because he was planning to die by suicide. Robert said he couldn't bear the thought of putting his family through a murder trial. Although his marriage was on thin ice, his wife had stayed by his side ever since Jeff published his first story back in May. And he didn't want her or his three kids to deal with any more scandal.
- [25:00]
Dr. Tristan Ingalls
Okay, so this is another projection. He may believe that this is about protecting his family, but at the core, it's about ego and avoidance. He's not concerned for his family and what a murder trial will put them through. He's concerned about what a murder trial will put him through. If he was genuinely concerned about how his actions would affect his family, he would have considered that long ago. This is the permanent disillusion of his image, which he built on authority and influence. Because of that realization, he's likely experiencing feelings of acute shame. And for some people, that's a fate worse than prison. His suicidal threats are a way of reclaiming control and power, while at the same time, once again avoiding accountability. Not just legally, but emotionally and relationally too. Even if that avoidance is short lived.
- [25:54]
Vanessa Richardson
After a long negotiation with police, Robert decided he wanted to live after all. Once they made sure it was safe for them to go in, 45 minutes had passed, but they got to Robert in time to give him medical treatment.
- [26:07]
Dr. Tristan Ingalls
So if Robert actually hadn't made an attempt, then what they're needing to do is medically clear him so that before they can actually book him into a jail.
- [26:16]
Vanessa Richardson
And then after that, they took him to the Clark County Detention center so he could be booked for Jeff German's murder. After that, it was up to the district attorney to make sure he faced justice. After Robert was officially arrested, prosecutors had to convince a grand jury that they had enough evidence to put him on trial. The process took a few weeks, but on October 20, 2022, Robert was officially indicted for Jeff's murder. He was not granted bail. That meant Robert would remain in custody until his trial, which was eventually set for August 12, 2024, almost two years after Jeff was killed. If found guilty, Robert faced the possibility of life in prison without parole. The prosecutors had considered the death penalty, but ultimately decided not to pursue it. In the meantime, Robert stayed busy, mostly by giving interviews to various news outlets every time he maintained his innocence. In fact, he claimed it was a frame job. According to Robert, a real estate company that didn't like how he was handling people's estates wanted to get rid of him. He claimed that all the evidence from the maroon GMC Denali, the cut up sun hat, even the DNA had been planted.
- [27:36]
Dr. Tristan Ingalls
So what drives someone to make seemingly outrageous claims like this, especially after the initial response he had when police came to his home to execute a warrant? Well, there's a couple of explanations. Firstly, when the truth is too psychologically overwhelming, some people enter a state of defensive delusion or denial. They start clinging to any alternative explanation to preserve their identity. And it's clear that Robert' image was very important to him. Secondly, he is once again engaging in projection. In Robert's case, projecting the blame onto a real estate firm externalizes the shame and shifts the focus away from his behavior and onto a fictional enemy. This is done to avoid the discomfort of his reality. But also it could be a strategic legal strategy intended to plant seeds of doubt in the public that could possibly lay groundwork for reasonable doubt for a future jury. And of course, there is always the possibility that he is experiencing paranoia from extreme stress. And incarceration and a pending murder trial can certainly cause extreme stress. The bottom line is the world can begin to feel really hostile and conspiratorial when you're not able to psychologically accept your own accountability or what is actually happening. And when someone accused of murder starts making wild, implausible claims, it's not always about about fooling others. It could be their need to fool themselves first.
- [29:03]
Vanessa Richardson
In Robert's case, he was fully committed to his story. There was no attempt to make a plea deal or argue insanity. And when the 47 year old took the stand in August 2024, he continued to claim it was a frame job. But when he was asked to actually prove it, he came up empty. And when the jury reached a verdict on August 28, 2024, the result was what everyone expected. Robert Telles was guilty of murdering Jeff German. He was ultimately sentenced to life in prison, but will be eligible for parole after 26 years. By the time that happens, Robert will be 73. Although nothing will ever erase the tragedy of Jeff German's death, he left behind an incredible legacy. Throughout his long and storied career, he played a crucial role in exposing corruption. Whether it was facing off against the mob or standing up to the political establishment, Jeff always put the well being of others over his own safety. Reflecting on his death, Robert's former employee Alicia Goodwin spoke about how much it meant that Jeff took on their story. She said, he did something and he fought for us and he is 100% our hero. Thanks so much for listening. Come back next time for a deep dive into the mind of another killer. Of the many sources of we used when researching this episode, the one we found the most credible and helpful was the last the Murder of an Investigative.
- [30:52]
Dr. Tristan Ingalls
Journalist by Arthur Cain Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Powered by Pave Studios Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on all social media rimehouse. Don't forget to rate, review and follow Killer Mind wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference and.
- [31:14]
Vanessa Richardson
To enhance your listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode of Killer Minds ad free, along with early access to each thrilling two part series and exciting bonus content. Killer Minds is hosted by me, Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristan Engels and is a Crime House original power Powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Killer Minds team Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Lori Marinelli, Natalie Pertzovsky, Sarah Camp, Elliot Patzkovsky, Beth Johnson and Keri Murphy. Thank you for listening.
- [32:00]
Nicole Lappin
Hey there, it's Nicole Lappin. For your next listen, check out Scams, Money and Murder. This week we dive into the true story of the Wolf of Wall street himself. And don't miss our recent episode with Jessica Pressler. That's the journalist who uncovered the truth behind fake heiress Anna Delphi. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.