Prosecutors argued that Telles was motivated to kill German because he continued to write negative stories about him. The trial resumed on Tuesday as the jury continued their deliberations.

During closing arguments, the defense presented a surprising image: a silhouette of a person driving a maroon SUV who did not resemble Telles, the accused.

Telles lost in the Democratic primary for re-election after German’s stories were published in the Las Vegas Review-Journal in May 2022. Those reports shed light on turmoil and bullying at Telles’ office and exposed a romantic relationship between Telles and a female employee.

The prosecution presented evidence, including a timeline and videos of Telles’ maroon SUV near German’s home on the day of the murder. They also highlighted a text message from Telles’ wife, to which he did not respond, asking about his whereabouts around the time of the murder.

Telles’ DNA was found beneath German’s fingernails, and prosecutors claimed that German fought for his life during the attack. However, the murder weapon was never found, and German’s blood or DNA was not discovered on Telles, in his vehicle, or at his home.

Telles, who maintained his innocence, testified that various individuals were framing him as retaliation for his efforts to combat corruption in his office. The defense introduced new evidence, including a video clip showing a maroon SUV similar to Telles’, with a shadowed silhouette of the driver.

The trial drew significant attention, as Jeff German was the only journalist killed in the U.S. in 2022, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists based in New York. If found guilty, Telles faces life in prison.