On Wednesday, police in Las Vegas raided the residence of a local elected official and towed away a vehicle that had been sought in connection with the criminal investigation into the fatal stabbing of a veteran journalist whose investigative work had angered the official.
As part of their investigation into the death of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German, Las Vegas police did not immediately provide information about the search.
Police cars were reportedly spotted outside the residence of Clark County Public Administrator Robert “Rob” Telles, who has recently been the subject of reporting by German, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal and local television news crews. KTNV-TV reported officers entered and exited the house.
When confronted by a KLAS-TV reporter after arriving home hours later while wearing a white hazardous materials-style jumpsuit, Telles reportedly remained silent.
News crews observed as uniformed officers knocked on the door of the residence in the evening but received no response.
The Review-Journal noted that Telles had complained about German on Twitter recently, including assertions made in June that German was a bully who was “obsessed” with him.
In addition to releasing a photo of a red or maroon 2007-2014 GMC Yukon Denali four-door SUV with chrome handles, a sunroof, and a luggage rack that officials said may be connected to the case, police also showed a brief video of a potential suspect walking on a sidewalk wearing bright orange “construction attire” on Tuesday.
Newspaper images from Tuesday showed Telles washing a similar car parked in his driveway; according to KTNV-TV, the car was towed away on Wednesday after police arrived.
German devoted months to covering the controversy surrounding Telles’ leadership of the office that manages the assets of persons who pass away without a will or close family.
As a result of German’s findings being made public starting in May, county officials hired a consultant for the public administrators’ office.
The Democratic candidate Telles, 45, lost the June primary election. His tenure is up in January.
According to an article published on Wednesday by The Review-Journal, German recently requested copies of emails and texts exchanged between Telles and three other county officials.
An automated phone message left for Michael Murphy, the former Clark County coroner recruited to resolve conflict and charges of bullying and favouritism in the public administrators’ office, was not immediately returned.
German, 69, was discovered dead outside his house on Saturday morning. He was reportedly killed on Friday during an encounter with another person, according to police, who described the occurrence as an isolated incident.
German suffered “several sharp force injuries,” according to the Clark County coroner, who classified the incident as a homicide.
The Associated Press did not immediately respond to messages left for Telles at his county office.
The probable suspect’s entire face was not visible in the security photos that the police displayed.
The individual sported a broad straw hat, a long, reflective orange shirt, blue pants, grey shoes, and a shoulder bag in either black or dark blue.
German spent more than 20 years as a columnist and reporter for the Las Vegas Sun, where he covered government, labour, politics, courts, and organised crime. He then moved to the Review-Journal in 2010.
He was well-known for his coverage of political scandals, government misdeeds, and the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting that left more than 400 people injured and 60 dead.