Former public administrator Robert Telles has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the murder of investigative journalist Jeff German in 2022. Telles, a former Democratic politician, laid in wait outside German’s home and stabbed him to death in a targeted attack. The verdict of first-degree murder was read in court, with Telles receiving a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.
German, who had written critical articles exposing misconduct in Telles’ department, was mourned by his family and colleagues. The conviction was seen as a victory for press freedom and a warning against attempts to silence or intimidate journalists. Telles denied the allegations, claiming he was framed, but DNA evidence linking him to the crime was deemed irrefutable by the court.
The murder of German highlighted the dangers journalists face in their line of work, with the Committee to Protect Journalists reporting that 15 media workers have been killed in the US since 1992. German was the only journalist murdered in the US in 2022, among 69 media workers killed worldwide that year.
The conviction of Telles has been praised as a significant step towards holding those responsible for targeting journalists accountable. This case serves as a clear message that acts of violence against members of the media will not be tolerated in the United States. German’s legacy as a dedicated journalist who held the powerful to account was honored by his colleagues and the press community.
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