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- [00:00]
A
Are you a professional pillow fighter or a 9 to 5 low cost time travel agent? Or maybe real estate sales on Mars is your profession? It doesn't matter. Whatever it is you do, however Complexplex or intricate, Monday.com can help you organize, orchestrate and make it more efficient. Monday.com is the 1 centralized platform for everything work related and with Monday.com work is just easier. Monday.com for whatever you run. Go to Monday.com to learn more. All right you guys, you know that Skims is a sponsor of this podcast and honestly, you know I love my skims product and I really really need to tell you about their holiday collection that just launched. I have ordered so many pieces from it and they are so cute. One of the things I love about Christmas is the tradition of Christmas pajamas. They also have some like really cute Christmas lingerie sets if you will, that I've been wearing for bed. They have matching panty and bralette that have Christmas prints but not super cheesy Christma Christmas prints. Like just super fun prints to get you in the Christmas mood, if you know what I'm saying.
- [01:09]
B
And I'm not gonna lie. I have been benefiting from this and.
- [01:12]
A
I'm not gonna lie. The fits everybody scoop. Bralette is my favorite Bralette ever. And the Skims Holiday Shop has them packaged in cute boxes so they kind of already come ready for Christmas. So if you wanted to just order one as a stocking stuffer or for gifts for your family, they already come in cute like gift wrapping almost. So it's done, it's easy. Place it and you're done.
- [01:34]
B
If you have a significant other and you want to buy this for them, do it, do it.
- [01:39]
A
And they come gift wrapped ready for Christmas. So shop Skims holiday shop@skims.com available in styles for women, men, kids, and even pets. And you guys, if you haven't yet, when you shop on skims, please be sure to let them know that Murder with My Husband sent you. The way you do that is after you place your order, select Podcast in the survey and select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. It's just a great way to let them know that we sent you. It supports the podcast. It lets them know that our listeners are taking their sponsorship seriously. And again, I love all my Skims products and I know you will too. So go shop Skims and let them know we sent you. You're listening to an Ono Media podcast. Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast. This is Murder with My Husband. I'm Peyton Moreland.
- [02:27]
B
I'M Garrett Moreland, and he's the husband. And I'm the husband. And I'm very upset because we just recorded for 15 minutes and we didn't hit the record button on the audio.
- [02:35]
A
Round two.
- [02:36]
B
Round two, here we go. You know, it's kind of weird repeating the same things you just repeated for the last 15 minutes, but here we go. At least we noticed it before we did a whole episode. All right. Jumping right into it. Merch. Thanks, everyone. To thanks everyone who has bought merch. We really appreciate it. We're glad you guys like the designs. It'll be up for another week. Seriously, thank you for the support. Halloween's coming up soon, so get your merch. Second. Apple subscribers, Patreon subscribers, and Spotify subscribers, thanks for paying for extra bonus content. We really appreciate it. Thank you for supporting us. A reminder, two bonus episodes a month as well as ad free content on everything. We love you guys so much. We love all you guys. Should I just hop right in? Should I just keep. Should I just keep firing away?
- [03:23]
A
Keep going.
- [03:23]
B
All right, I'm gonna keep firing away. 10 seconds. Peyton and I, we bought season tickets to the Utah Hockey Club. It is an NHL team. They were Arizona's team. It's now in Utah. We love it. Honestly. It's Peyton and I's, I think, new favorite thing. We love doing it. We love eating some food, watching hockey, hanging out. Peyton loves standing up, cursing, yelling at all the people when they fight. She's the first person to stand up as soon as a fight breaks out. I love it. She loves it. We're having a good time.
- [03:53]
A
It is so super fun. It's crazy how 15 minutes can turn into three minutes.
- [03:59]
B
Peyton doesn't really stand up and start cursing. I made that up.
- [04:02]
A
No. I do stand up and yell, though, when they fight because it's so fun to just scream at my lungs.
- [04:07]
B
Punch him in the face. Rip off his helmet. You tell him.
- [04:13]
A
Knock the teeth.
- [04:13]
B
Get the teeth. You tell them, baby.
- [04:15]
A
That's what I like to yell.
- [04:17]
B
So it actually has been really fun. Other than that, just a reminder, we have our Twitch streams every Tuesday and Thursday. Come join us. We have our new YouTube channel. It's called Peyton and Garrett. Look it up on YouTube. It's all of our Twitch content. New content that you guys aren't seeing. If you're listening to this, we post three videos a week on there. Shorter videos of just basically what's happening on Twitch clips, shorts. Go and check it out. Peyton and Garrett. There will be links in the Description Somewhere on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere that you are listening. Also, I have still been going to the gym. Staying consistent. Hold me accountable. Yeah, I'm actually kind of proud of myself that I keep forcing myself to go, but I'm doing it and it feels good. What about you, babe? You got anything?
- [05:08]
A
No, I'm not going to the gym.
- [05:11]
B
Oh, baby.
- [05:12]
A
And I'm, you know, just doesn't matter. I'm just living.
- [05:15]
B
Pian has a little bit of a headache. It hasn't been feeling good this morning. But she's here. She's with us. She's supporting us as we support her. And let's hop into today's case.
- [05:25]
A
Our sources for this episode are CBS News, CNN, Seattle Times, AP News, Las Vegas Review, Journal, NPR, People.com New York Times.com UPI.com Columbia Journalism Review, BBC.com RollingStone.com TheGuardian.com and 8News Now.com I think it's safe to say that being a journalist today can be a little difficult, especially because I think in this day and age the title comes with some sour connotations. Like, sure, there's the TMZ kind of journalists, the ones who follow around celebrities looking for the next salacious, maybe not even true story. And then there's the few who are just looking to make a buck capitalizing off of someone's hardships. But there's a whole other side to journalism that is so underappreciated. And it's the ones who are willing to put their neck on the line to expose the ugly truths about our world. Think about it. You have journalists who are headed into war zones to try and show the world what's happening there. Some are tasked with interviewing powerful subjects who are accused of terrible crimes. And then there's those looking to expose some criminal or even government organization that's meant to be kept a secret. Which doesn't just put the journalists reputations at risk, it puts their lives at risk, too. In 2022, 69 reporters were killed around the globe for taking on difficult stories.
- [06:47]
B
Holy crap. I guess we'll get into it. I assume most of it is out of the U.S. yes.
- [06:53]
A
Only one of them happened right here in the United States. That's obviously the case we're going to be covering. All right, but it's not under the circumstances that you'd imagine. See, the story of Jeff German proves any assignment can be a matter of life or death. And you should never underestimate your subject. So like a lot of our cases, I'll travel Back in time and tell you a little bit about our victim. And this story is not going to be like that. Because to be honest, there's not a whole lot of information out there about the hard hitting journalists in our case today named Jeff German. Maybe that's strategic, maybe it's ironic, but despite his years of game changing stories, Jeff's early years have flown under most people's radar, even when it was time for him to become the story. But here's what I can tell you about Jeff in 2022. He was a bachelor. And from what I found, he was never married. At least not to a person.
- [08:01]
B
Okay, I thought you meant he was on the show the Bachelor.
- [08:05]
A
Oh, no, no, no, no. He was an actual bachelor. Okay.
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B
Okay.
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A
And people speculate that he was never married because he was married to his career.
- [08:14]
B
Okay.
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A
If you asked his colleague Jeff Schumacher, which is not Jeff German, he'd tell you that Jeff was, quote, a reporter, probably from birth to death. Ink was running very heavily in his veins. And I know he went to Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He got a master's degree and eventually moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. Now, this might have been for personal reasons, but it was more likely for a job. Because in the 1970s when Jeff made the move, Vegas had plenty of hard hitting stories to report on. There was casino robberies, political scandals, murder, and of course, the mafia. Which after joining the publication known as the Las Vegas sun, actually became one of Jeff's first big breaks. And more specifically, Jeff focused on one of Vegas's hardest to nail mobsters. A man named Tony Spilotro.
- [09:14]
B
A name so sounds like a mafia name. You know, it just has the ring to it.
- [09:19]
A
I know. It was a name so infamous that Joe Pesci's character in Scorsese's movie Casino was actually modeled off of Tony. See, Tony was known not just for being a conniving thief. He was responsible for a lot of the violent mob related crime in Vegas. But he had never once actually gotten blood on his own hands. For years, he managed to fly under the radar. That is until our reporter Jeff German came along and picked up his story. But right after printing his first piece on Tony, Jeff fell off his radar. Jeff would go back to his car only to find his tire slashed. He was receiving menacing phone calls to his house and other concealed threats hurled his way. But Jeff did not let up. In fact, when he ran into one of Tony's henchmen at a Las Vegas bar, Jeff walked right up to him and said, hey, you guys need to Back off of me.
- [10:20]
B
Which, I mean, nah, man, that's scary.
- [10:22]
A
Crazy.
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B
That's insane.
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A
And Jeff was actually met with a stern punch in the face as a response.
- [10:28]
B
I'm sure he was.
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A
But this was actually something that reporter Jeff wore as a badge of honor, and it was proof that his stories were valid. He was onto something. And through it all, he managed to continue covering the topic without much more harassment or serious threats. Probably because Jeff was like a dog with a bone. There was just no taking a good story away from him. And the former Gaming Control Board chairman of Vegas even called Jeff, quote, the most tenacious reporter I have ever dealt with and would not take a simple platitude for an answer. So Jeff even went on to compile his stories and run ins with the mob into a true crime book titled Murder in Sin City. The Death of a Las Vegas Crime Boss. And this was in 2001. And then in 2009, after nearly two decades at the Las Vegas Sun, Jeff was laid off. But he quickly joined another Vegas publication known as the Las Vegas Review Journal. And there, Jeff kept breaking stories on some of the biggest things to happen in Las Vegas, from the 2017 mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay Hotel to a series of failed inspections that led to the disastrous 2019 Alpine Motel apartment fires. His subjects and sources ranged from whistleblowers to government officials to FBI agents.
- [11:50]
B
Can't believe that shooting in Vegas was 2017. It feels like it was only a couple years ago.
- [11:55]
A
I know. And Jeff German was the one to cover it all. Now, in 2022, Jeff was still pursuing some tough assignments. He had just exposed a $500 million Ponzi scheme that was targeting members of.
- [12:13]
B
Wait, don't tell me. Cryptocurrency.
- [12:17]
A
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
- [12:19]
B
What? One of the two.
- [12:21]
A
And was breaking a case on a corrupt government official who had been verbally abusive to his employees and was carrying on an affair. But through all of this, there was one thing that Jeff never lost, and that was his integrity as a journalist. He always maintained close, trusted relationships with his contacts and sources. And he protected them, too, refusing to ever give up their identities, no matter what the situation. And then in 2022, the now 69 year old Jeff Gearman was at the height of his career. And he told his colleagues he had no plans to retire anytime soon. That would actually all change on Labor Day weekend. So on Friday, September 2, 2022, Jeff Gman was at his Las Vegas home taking a little vacation from work. That day, he left his house to grab something to eat. He came back, he opened his garage door, but he never shut it again. This is something Jeff's neighbors found suspicious when they saw an entire day had gone by and his garage door was still open. So they texted Jeff a few times to see if everything was okay, if maybe he needed them to shut it. But Jeff wasn't answering their messages. So around 10:30am now, on Saturday, September 3rd, they walked over to Jeff's house to knock on his door. And when they entered the yard, they actually saw Jeff, only he was lying on the side of his house next to a set of bushes. They walked up and it was obvious that Jeff was dead.
- [13:57]
B
Wow. Okay.
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A
He had been stabbed seven times, four in the neck and three in the torso.
- [14:04]
B
Geez, man.
- [14:05]
A
He was completely unresponsive. And after calling 91 1, first responders arrived at the scene only to pronounce the 69 year old Jeff German, dead from his injuries. And with no family of his own, no partners, no roommates, police are wondering, like, what could have happened here. Now, luckily, Jeff's neighbors did have something of use. It was a video from their personal security cameras taken around the time that Jeff had come home the previous day. And it showed a man dressed in an orange vest, sort of like one that you'd wear doing, like, construction.
- [14:39]
B
Yep.
- [14:39]
A
And he also had a large straw hat on, and he was carrying some sort of duffel bag. Now, the man appeared to be walking down the street, and then he made a turn toward Jeff's yard.
- [14:52]
B
Of course he's carrying a duffel bag.
- [14:54]
A
And the suspect actually opened up the gate and let himself in along the side of Jeff's house. But here's where things got really shocking, because in this video, you can actually see a sort of struggle in the bushes alongside Jeff's home.
- [15:10]
B
Oh, my gosh.
- [15:11]
A
And you can't really make out what's happening, but based on the state that Jeff was found in, this is clearly the murder. Yeah, he's been killed, like on camera. And then after about just two minutes, that man, dressed in orange, emerges from the bushes. He walks down the sidewalk and gets into a maroon SUV that was parked across the street. And then he just drives away. And then Jeff is never seen on footage again. But the assailant does come back to the scene later. He's spotted on that footage again getting out of his car and walking around the side of the house. Now police are like, why would he come back? Did he leave something behind? Was he checking to see if Jeff actually died? Either way, police think, okay, obviously we have our suspect, but who is this person and what is their connection to Jeff?
- [16:09]
B
This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. It's sometimes hard to remind ourselves that we are trying our best to make sense of everything. And in this crazy world, that isn't easy. Here's a reminder to send some thanks to the people in your life, including yourself. Not up until recently, I mean, Peyton's always been a big advocate of therapy. And honestly, I think therapy up until I guess a few months ago is super important. Something Peyton and I both do is something Peyton and I both love sometimes. But it's honestly, it's good to talk about your feelings. It is good to talk about what's going on inside your head. So don't forget that. And if you feel like you want to do therapy, give better help a try and see if it's for you. Therapy in general is just important.
- [16:52]
A
BetterHelp is entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible and suited to your schedule. You just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist and you can actually switch therapists at any time for no additional charge. So let the gratitude flow with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com husband today to get 10% off your free first month. That's BetterHelp. H E L p dot com husband. You know when you discover a new binge worthy show or a song that you bump on repeat and you have to share it with your friends so they can experience just how awesome it is? Well, that's what it kind of feels like when you discover that Mint Mobile offers premium wireless for 15amonth. When you purchase a three month plan. It's such an awesome deal. There is no way you can keep it to yourself.
- [17:39]
B
It's actually insane that $15 a month. The deal that Mint Mobile has is. I mean it's amazing.
- [17:46]
A
It's a great price.
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B
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- [18:01]
A
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B
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- [18:34]
A
So after speaking with other people in the neighborhood, police learned that a suspect fitting the same description had been seen casing the block over the last few weeks. And that there had been a few home burglaries in the area recently, as well as what neighbors described as, quote, weird people walking around in the middle of the night. So this is what neighbors say once Jeff is found dead. Okay, but here's the thing. Investigators know from their years of experience that Jeff's murder does not look like a robbery. Nothing is missing from Jeff's home. And the number of stab wounds feels more like a personal attack, perhaps even an act of revenge. But on the other hand, this also doesn't really look like a professional hit job. If it was, the hired man didn't do a very good job of covering up his tracks. Not to mention, the crime was committed in broad daylight on a holiday weekend when people would be off of work. And when they speak with Jeff's colleagues at the Las Vegas Review Journal, they find he never raised any concerns about his safety or reported any threats that were made against him. But as we know, that does not mean that Jeff doesn't have any enemies. As I mentioned, Jeff wasn't the guy to write up some big puff piece. He was the kind of person who went toe to toe with some of Vegas's toughest outlaws for the past 40 years of his life. And he did gain quite a few enemies over the years, including members of the mafia. So police have to consider, could there have been someone holding a grudge against Jeff German?
- [20:09]
B
It's like, why now, though?
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A
Right?
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B
Right. He's what's, almost 70 at this point.
- [20:13]
A
Yes.
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B
Like, why? Why now?
- [20:15]
A
There were probably a lot of people who had a close eye on him, but would any of them be as bold as to murder him? Jeff's colleagues at the Las Vegas Review Journal thought it was very likely, actually. So they began doing their own investigation, which, I mean, obviously the police are looking into this murder, but don't put it past a group of journalists to be like, we are going to solve our colleagues murder.
- [20:39]
B
Yeah.
- [20:40]
A
So, diving into Jeff's ongoing stories, they began tracking down some of his sources to see if they might have any. Any indication of what Jeff was working on, maybe what possibly could have put him into danger. They went through his emails, his computer files, his notes, and they paired the information they had with some of the details that had been released by police. Like that Suspicious maroon SUV that the main suspect was seen getting into. Jeff's colleagues found that that car matched the description of one of the subjects Jeff was reporting on. So instead of calling police way, I mean, like, hey, we went through his notes and there is a subject who has a maroon suv. The journalists themselves decide to go down to this guy's house because of course they want the first scoop. They don't want police to get it.
- [21:33]
B
Yep.
- [21:33]
A
And sure enough, he's in the driveway washing a maroon suv. It's the same make and model that was seen leaving the scene of the crime. And do you want to take a guess at who you think this is that he was reporting on? Like, you're not going to have a name, but like, what type of person?
- [21:52]
B
I mean, the mafia, right?
- [21:55]
A
I mean, what other group would kill someone for reporting on them?
- [22:00]
B
You got my head thinking right now.
- [22:03]
A
I'm glad that's what it's supposed to do.
- [22:04]
B
Yeah. Thanks, babe. So if not the mafia, what other group?
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A
Another corrupt group of people.
- [22:13]
B
The government.
- [22:15]
A
The owner of that vehicle was a local politician.
- [22:18]
B
No. Get out of here, dude. No freaking way.
- [22:21]
A
Was that all it takes?
- [22:22]
B
Sane? No, I mean, if it's a local politician, it's not a hot take.
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A
I mean, I just feel like. I feel like shady. Look, shady characters.
- [22:34]
B
If anyone wants to disagree with me, go ahead. But our government's nuts. No one can deny that we for sure have been hiding things and continue to hide things. If you deny that, then I don't have to tell you you're oblivious.
- [22:47]
A
I'm not sure it was always this way, but I think today if someone's in politics, I'm like, look, if they.
- [22:55]
B
Would just come out and show me the aliens that they have hidden, then I would be happy and everything would be fine.
- [23:00]
A
So this local politician's name was Robert tellis. Now, the 47 year old Robert was a Clark county public administrator, A department whose one of many jobs was to handle the estates of the deceased.
- [23:15]
B
I can't believe that his exact car was seen leaving the murder scene. The police are going to have a field day with this when they find.
- [23:22]
A
Out that the journalists already confronted him.
- [23:24]
B
Yeah, yeah.
- [23:25]
A
So they would handle estates of the deceased along with other things like budget analysis, urban planning, networking and pr. Just a whole bunch of political stuff. But earlier in 2022, Jeff German obviously received a tip about this man, Robert. And it was a tip that suggested there was a lot of disturbing things happening around Robert's office. So it was around March, about seven months before the murder when Jeff got a call from a woman named Alicia Goodwin. Now, Alicia told Jeff she didn't know who else to go to. She had already filed former complaint after formal complaint to the county Office of Diversity about her boss, Robert Tellis. But the county reportedly was brushing her concerns aside. All they told her was, hey, he's an elected official. There's nothing they could really do to help her. So Alicia was like, I'm going to go to Jeff and see if he can take this story public. It was a story that claimed Robert had made a very toxic work environment. He was harassing Alicia and her colleagues. He was bullying them, discriminating against them. This was something that had started up almost the day that Robert Tullis stepped foot in their office back in January of 2019. And here's just a little taste of what he did, or at least what Jeff had uncovered. Robert refused to let the women in the office speak to one another.
- [24:57]
B
What? That's insane.
- [24:59]
A
Good morning. Have a nice night. Was off limits. Like, they could not talk to each other. And if they broke that rule, the punishment was being called into Robert's office and screamed at. Like, literally, sit down, shut up, and F you.
- [25:16]
B
No way. That's okay.
- [25:19]
A
So Alicia actually got a few of her other female colleagues to come forward to Jeff and say, hey, she's not making it up.
- [25:26]
B
Okay. I was gonna ask, like, did other people come forward?
- [25:28]
A
Yes. Other female colleagues came forward and said, no, we're validating her claims. Like, this is happening, and this is real. And I will say this is a very manipulative and toxic way to control people. I mean, to say you can't even talk to someone. So a woman named Jessica Coleman said that there were times when she feared for her physical safety in the workplace, that Robert would get in their faces, he would scream. He would corner them up against walls. He would just yell at them.
- [25:58]
B
It's insane to me that people like that are real.
- [26:02]
A
And a few of them even said that he would look at them and, like, force them to look in his eyes. Like, you need to look at me in the eyes as he said these horrible things. In fact, Jessica said Robert once told her that she was going to, quote, die alone, and no one was ever going to find her. So he said that to a female employee, okay, you're going to die alone, and no one is ever going to find you. These are words and actions that pushed Jessica so far that she admitted to Jeff that she had considered dying by suicide because of the work situation. And she was like, If I was going to do it, I was going to do it at the office. So he had to find me. In Jessica's mind, this was the only way to get the county to take any course of action against Robert. Because they had tried to come forward and say, hey, this elected official is abusing his power. And no one was listening. Listening. But obviously that was not the solution. When the women came together, they saw an opportunity to secretly take Robert Tullis down. And once they had the evidence they needed, they knew they would take it to the media. And then hopefully people would begin to listen. See, the women had a strong feeling that Robert was having an affair with one of the female staffers in his office. One of the only people he ever acted favorably towards. And it was a 45 year old woman named Roberta Lee Knetz. Now, Robert was also giving Roberta. I mean, what are the chances?
- [27:27]
B
Yeah, that's pretty funny.
- [27:28]
A
Tasks that were above her pay grade. Between that and the short dresses and sneaking off at lunch, Alicia, Jessica, and the rest of the women were like, something is going on between these two. Something the married Robert Telles, who was also up for reelection in June of 2022, would definitely want to be kept a secret. So the women began following the two of them. Both Robert and Roberta would set off in their own cars and always head to the same destination. It was a mall parking garage just a few miles away from the office. One would get into the other's car and I'll let you fill in the gaps of what the women from the office discovered. But now it was like a full task force. Alicia and her co workers began assigning different days to follow their boss and this fellow coworker. And they were tasked with taking video and photos of this ongoing affair. That's happening in the car.
- [28:23]
B
That's what I'm talking about, man.
- [28:24]
A
Including one where Roberta is clearly getting out of the car, she's pulling her dress back down. Now, they had something on their boss, Robert, that could not only blow up his career, but also his marriage. And they knew they had to bring it to someone who was going to take this story seriously. And so that's when they called up Jeff German.
- [28:43]
B
Okay.
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A
Now, the women said Jeff was the first person to ever really sit and listen to them about what was happening at work. For the first time, they felt seen. And if there was any hope in exposing Robert Tellis, Jeff German was their guy. I mean, he faced off against the Las Vegas mob, for crying out loud. So someone like Robert probably felt like child's play to Jeff. Alicia said that Jeff not only pursued the story, he spent countless hours listening to all of their experiences. And he would even check in with them repeatedly to make sure they were doing okay as the story broke. So Jeff really did break this story. It was a day that came in May of 2022. Jeff released an article titled County Office in Turmoil. With secret videos and claims of bullying and hostility, the piece ultimately cost Robert Tellis the June election.
- [29:39]
B
Oh, poor Robert.
- [29:40]
A
And he was removed from his seat in the public administrator's office. But Jeff didn't stop there. That summer, he wrote three more pieces that continued to expose the corrupt official. And he had a fifth piece in the works, which he obviously never got to complete. Thanks to Jeff's articles, four of the women actually went on to file a lawsuit against Robert Tullis. But Robert was not the kind of guy to take any of this lying down. After the articles were published and Robert lost the election, he began posting angry messages on social media directed towards Jeff. He was tweeting things that read, looking forward to lying smear piece number four. I think he's mad that I haven't crawled into a hole and died. And he also tweeted and said that Jeff himself texted me to tell me article three is coming out. And I'm sure article four will come out soon enough. Jeff, I know you're obsessed with me, but I'm over you. It's not funny because we know that Jeff got murdered.
- [30:46]
B
It's just. It's embarrassing on Robert. Like, it's embarrassing, man.
- [30:51]
A
Okay?
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B
Like, you got exposed. You got exposed. I don't know. So tell you. You're a dirtbag.
- [30:56]
A
Fix your marriage.
- [30:56]
B
You're a horrible human being, and I don't know, tell you, man.
- [31:01]
A
Apparently, this was followed by some crude text messages from Robert to Jeff as well. But look, these tweets aren't really that alarming. I'm sure Jeff is used to this kind of thing when he breaks stories on people. I mean, the guy had his tire slashed, and he was punched in the face at a bar by a mobster.
- [31:17]
B
Yeah, this is baby stuff.
- [31:18]
A
Yes. So Robert didn't even register to him as threat. But it turns out there was even more dirt on Robert that Jeff hadn't even gotten around to digging up yet. Like, back in 2020, Robert had been arrested for domestic violence after his wife called the cops, saying he came home drunk and was, quote, going crazy and choking her.
- [31:36]
B
Oh, my gosh.
- [31:37]
A
He then resisted arrest when police showed up, both of which were met with little more than a slap on the wrist for the public official. All to say it's very obvious that Robert did have a violent temper in him and by underestimating this, it might have cost Jeff his life. So now with confirmation that Robert Tellis not only had motive to kill Jeff German, but also that his car was seen at the scene of the crime, police start to look for more confirmation that this is their guy. And it starts with that video. Now, it's hard to make out the person's identity because of the giant straw hat, but they also find the orange vest might be strategic, like someone was trying to blend in with local construction workers or landscapers. But it's not the clothing that sets off alarm bells for investigators, it's the person's gait, almost like they are limping or favoring one leg over the other in the video. And when it's compared to videos of Robert, that walk is nearly identical. Have you guys heard of lal? LOL is Laser Assisted Lipo and the results from LAL are incredible. I've been looking at before and afters from Sono Bello and these women honestly look incredible. Our friends at Sono Bello are offering you their best dill. You're now included in their Friends and Family Fall Savings event. You'll get the same price that Sono Bello doctors, nurses and staff receive, but appointments are limited, so please get on this. Sono Bello doctors are masters in microlaser fat removal, a brilliant technique that removes stubborn fat permanently wherever your problem areas. Tummy, love handles, thighs, arms. It's gone in one comfortable visit. Eating healthy and workouts are great. Keep doing that. But if you want to lose that stubborn fat in one visit, check out.
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B
Sono Bello Save Big during Sono Bello's Friends and Family Fall Savings Event. Schedule your free consultation now@sonobello.com husband that's sono b l o.com husband hey murder.
- [33:39]
A
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- [34:14]
B
I have bought multiple things, customized things for paying on Etsy. Honestly I don't know. Every year I'm doing something on Etsy, especially around the holidays. Go check it out. I've done jewelry for her and I've also done candles. So my favorite things to get for her and to customize on there. We love Etsy.
- [34:31]
A
Etsy makes it so simple to find original items that will make whoever I'm shopping for feel extra special. Shop Etsy this holiday season for personalized jewelry, custom artwork, cozy style items, vintage pieces, and home decor to celebrate all of your favorite people and their specific kind of special. For original gifts that say I get you, Etsy has it. So by Wednesday, September 7, police were knocking on Robert's door. They also towed away the maroon SUV that was actually registered to his wife.
- [35:00]
B
I think it's insane that maybe he didn't care about getting caught. Like, he had to have known he was gonna get caught.
- [35:05]
A
The car also, like, rent a car.
- [35:06]
B
Was going to be caught on camera. That's what I mean. Did he even care?
- [35:09]
A
It's 2022. Everyone has a ring. Doorbell.
- [35:11]
B
Do people even think about this ahead of time? Simply safe doorbell, by the way, you know, it's like, I don't know.
- [35:17]
A
So when police searched his home that day, they found a shocking amount of incriminating evidence. So, Garrett, if you think that Robert was a little silly with his murder plan, just wait till you see what he kept around.
- [35:29]
B
Yeah, let's hear it.
- [35:30]
A
They find the straw hat, okay. At Robert's home, The same one seen in the video.
- [35:36]
B
I don't think he cared about getting caught.
- [35:38]
A
Only it's cut up into pieces and it's stuffed inside a shopping bag. It also had blood on it. Then they found a pair of shoes matching the suspects. They were stuffed underneath Robert's sofa. Again, they were cut up and they had blood on them. They also saw the same duffel bag the suspect was carrying in the video as well.
- [35:56]
B
Oh, my gosh.
- [35:57]
A
And as all of this was being uncovered, covered, Robert was down at the police station answering questions. And that's where detectives noticed a pretty nasty cut on Robert's finger. So they went ahead and they asked him for a DNA sample. And later that day, police drove Robert home. But they'd be back a few hours later because that DNA sample came back as a match to the DNA found underneath Jeff's fingernails.
- [36:21]
B
How did it take him 10 seconds to do that? But we still can't test DNA from 15 years ago?
- [36:26]
A
Don't ask me.
- [36:27]
B
Riddle me that, Batwoman.
- [36:29]
A
So between all of this physical evidence and cellular data, that showed Robert had searched for Jeff's house on Google Maps hours before the murder. Police had more than enough to arrest Robert. And when they arrived at his house that evening, surprise, surprise. Robert does not leave peacefully. He refuses to come out of his house. A SWAT team is called in.
- [36:52]
B
Oh, my gosh.
- [36:53]
A
And then Robert is finally removed from his home. And it wasn't just in handcuffs. He is left on a stretcher after trying to harm himself.
- [37:02]
B
Okay.
- [37:02]
A
Robert was treated at a hospital for his injuries and then booked at the Clark County Detention center. And six weeks later, he was indicted for murder with a deadly weapon.
- [37:10]
B
Wow. Fast. Good.
- [37:12]
A
So Robert was denied bail, and prosecutors worked quickly to piece together their case against him. The main theory was that Jeff's story exposing the behavior of Robert had demolished his career, blew up his affair, and very possibly ruined his marriage. In an act of rage, Robert premeditated a plan to kill Jeff and. And executed that plan on September 2, 2022. And we know it's premeditated because eyewitnesses saw him casing the area before the actual crime.
- [37:38]
B
It's weird because at this point, his life's already ruined. Ruined. So, like, why? I mean, it's just anger at that point. I get it. But killing him wasn't going to change.
- [37:47]
A
Anything right now, Robert refused to play into any of this. He pleads not guilty to the charges of first degree murder with a deadly weapon. Instead, Robert comes up with a very solid explanation for everything during his trial in the summer of 2024. So, just recently.
- [38:04]
B
Wow.
- [38:05]
A
He said he was framed. And this is so ridiculous that I'm not even going to get into the weeds of it. But Robert said the whole thing was orchestrated by a team of office colleagues, business owners, and real estate agents he knew as well as the police, all because he had dedicated his career to trying to rid the city of corruption. And many of those corrupt players existed within his own office. The police force, real estate agencies he was working with, Etc. Robert even took the stand at his own trial to try and argue this as his defense. But considering Robert's history and the evidence that was stacked against him, there was very little chance that he wins this case. Could someone have planted bloody shoes and a hat in his home? Maybe.
- [38:43]
B
Sure.
- [38:43]
A
But could someone have planted his DNA under the fingernails of Jeff German?
- [38:48]
B
Maybe?
- [38:49]
A
Not very likely. Like, how do you get skin DNA and put it under someone's fingernails?
- [38:53]
B
He did it. This is ridiculous.
- [38:55]
A
So when Robert was questioned about the fingernail detail, his response was, quote, well, you know, crazier things. Have happened. And I'll tell you that I did not kill Mr. German.
- [39:03]
B
Good defense. Good defense.
- [39:05]
A
I'm sold.
- [39:06]
B
I'm sold, too.
- [39:07]
A
There was one detail the defense relied on heavily to support this. An additional video of that maroon SUV driving by the crime scene after the murder. The defense actually zoomed in on another neighbor's security video to show that the person, person inside driving the vehicle couldn't have been Robert because Robert was bald and this person had hair. They also tried to point to some body cam footage from the officers during his arrest and said several minutes of that footage had gone missing or was destroyed. But the prosecution's argument was a heck of a lot stronger than the defenses because they had a few more tricks up their sleeve. As I mentioned before, Jeff was working on another article about Robert at the time he died. One that hadn't been finished yet because Jeff was waiting on some public records that he'd requested to come across his desk. But the day before he died, Robert learned about what Jeff was seeking. It was a series of text messages that Robert and his mistress Roberta had shared. I'm not sure what was in those texts.
- [40:04]
B
Oh, I think I. I bet I know it was in those texts.
- [40:07]
A
Robert clearly did. And it must have been pretty damning because it was the straw that broke the camel's back.
- [40:11]
B
I'll tell you what I think it was.
- [40:13]
A
What?
- [40:13]
B
I think that they were going to kill his wife well before wanting to be together. Am I right?
- [40:19]
A
We don't know.
- [40:20]
B
Oh, I'm right.
- [40:21]
A
So before Jeff could get his hands on that information, Robert obviously showed up and stabbed him to death. After just 12 hours of deliberation, the jury came back to say that they found Robert Tellis guilty of murder. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years. And that August date, Jeff German's reporting meant justice for another one of Las Vegas's hard hitting criminals. Glenn Cook, a former colleague of Jeff's, actually put the case into perspective nicely. He told CBS that Jeff was, quote, going to report until his very last breath. And that's exactly what he did. And he gave his life to this job. And I think that's his legacy. And that is the story of Jeff German. And I do want to say, like, according to everyone in Jeff's life, he loved journalism, he was married to his job. And so I think that's what his colleagues mean when he took it to the grave. Like he literally. This is his legacy.
- [41:19]
B
This is crazy that. Look, people, this stuff happens and it's crazy that it happens. I mean, this is a true crime podcast. It's just crazy that like government official.
- [41:28]
A
Literally killed someone because he found out about his affair.
- [41:30]
B
He was being exposed. I bet you they were talking about killing his wife.
- [41:35]
A
It's quite the jump.
- [41:36]
B
Oh, no, for sure I'm right. I just, I can feel it in my bones.
- [41:40]
A
I mean, I think that I don't know if it was killing his wife, but I'm sure the text messages were going to be very embarrassing and even more harmful to his marriage if it was still trying to stay intact.
- [41:51]
B
For sure.
- [41:51]
A
Either way, that is our story for today's episode and we will see you next time with another one. I love it and I hate it. Goodbye. Hey, I'm Ryan Reynolds. At Mint Mobile, we like to do.
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B
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A
They charge you a lot, we charge you a little. So naturally, when they announced they'd be raising their prices due to inflation, we decided to deflate our prices due to not hating you.
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We're cutting the price of mint unlimited.
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From $30 a month to just $15 a month.
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A
Give it a try@mintmobile.com switch. $45 upfront payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first three month plan only.
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Taxes and fees.
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A
Extra Speed slower above 40 gigabytes. C details.