Jeff German

{{Infobox person

|birth_name = Jeffrey Michael German{{cite news |title=Police: Las Vegas journalist Jeff German dies in stabbing outside home |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2022/09/04/police-las-vegas-journalist-jeff-german-dies-in-stabbing-outside-home/ |work=Chicago Tribune |agency=Associated Press |date=September 3, 2022}}

|birth_date = {{birth date|1953|8|23}}{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

|birth_place = Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|2022|9|2|1953|8|23}}

|death_place = {{nobr|Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, U.S.}}

|death_cause = Homicide by stabbing

|name = Jeff German

|image = Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German.jpg

|image_size =

|alt =

|caption =

|occupation = {{hlist|Journalist|podcaster|author}}

|employer = {{ubl|Las Vegas Review-Journal|Las Vegas Sun}}

|education = Marquette University (MA)

}}

Jeffrey Michael German (August 23, 1953 – September 2, 2022) was an American investigative reporter who wrote for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Las Vegas Sun, his career spanning four decades. He was stabbed to death in 2022 by Robert Telles, an elected Clark County, Nevada Public Administrator, whom German had investigated and reported on.

Early life and education

German was born to Jewish parents Max and June German ({{nee}} Kaplan) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.{{Cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/jsonline/name/max-german-obituary?id=3142419|title=Max German Obituary (2007) - Milwaukee, WI - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|website=Legacy.com}} He earned a master's degree from Marquette University. He began his journalistic career as an intern for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He also worked with Jim Romenesko.{{Cite news |last1=Bogel-Burroughs |first1=Nicholas |last2=Baker |first2=Mike |date=September 11, 2022 |title=A Slain Reporter, a City of Sin and a Politician Charged With Murder |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/11/us/las-vegas-jeff-german-journalist.html |access-date=September 12, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925145031/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/11/us/las-vegas-jeff-german-journalist.html |url-status=live }}

Career

German was a columnist and investigative reporter at the Las Vegas Sun for more than two decades, covering organized crime, government, politics, and courts. He covered the MGM Grand fire in 1980 and the early 2000s FBI investigation into bribes taken by Clark County commissioners (Operation G-Sting). With fellow reporter Cathy Scott, he broke the story of the 1997 murder of mafia associate bookmaker Herbert Blitzstein.{{cite news |title=Investigative reporter who covered Las Vegas mob stabbed to death in 'senseless act' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/jeff-german-stabbed-death-journalist-b2159656.html |access-date=September 5, 2022 |work=The Independent |date=September 5, 2022 |language=en |archive-date=September 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904224143/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/jeff-german-stabbed-death-journalist-b2159656.html |url-status=live }}

In 2001, German wrote the true crime book Murder in Sin City: The Death of a Las Vegas Casino Boss,{{Cite news |last1=McDougall |first1=A. J. |last2=Bolies |first2=Corbin |date=September 4, 2022 |title=Las Vegas Investigative Reporter Stabbed to Death Outside His Home |language=en |work=The Daily Beast |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/las-vegas-review-journal-reporter-jeff-german-stabbed-to-death-outside-his-home |access-date=September 5, 2022 |archive-date=September 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905005512/https://www.thedailybeast.com/las-vegas-review-journal-reporter-jeff-german-stabbed-to-death-outside-his-home |url-status=live }} which told the story of the death of Ted Binion, heir to the Binion's Horseshoe fortune.{{Cite web |last=Brewer |first=Ray |date=September 4, 2022 |title=Police: Las Vegas journalist dies in stabbing outside home |url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2022/sep/04/police-las-vegas-journalist-dies-in-stabbing-outsi/ |access-date=September 5, 2022 |newspaper=Las Vegas Sun |language=en |archive-date=September 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904223856/https://lasvegassun.com/news/2022/sep/04/police-las-vegas-journalist-dies-in-stabbing-outsi/ |url-status=live }} His book also covered the theft of Binion's silver, known as the Binion Hoard.{{cite news |title=Evidence leads to arrest of Murphy, Tabish |url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2001/aug/08/evidence-leads-to-arrest-of-murphy-tabish/ |access-date=September 5, 2023 |publisher=Las Vegas Sun |date=August 8, 2001}}

German was a writer and host for the podcast series Mobbed Up: The Fight for Las Vegas, which was co-produced with the Mob Museum.{{Cite press release |last=Review-Journal |first=Las Vegas |title=The Las Vegas Review-Journal In Partnership With The Mob Museum Unveil Season 2 Of True-Crime Podcast "Mobbed Up: The Fight For Las Vegas" |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-las-vegas-review-journal-in-partnership-with-the-mob-museum-unveil-season-2-of-true-crime-podcast-mobbed-up-the-fight-for-las-vegas-301315056.html |access-date=September 12, 2022 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en |archive-date=September 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220913233611/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-las-vegas-review-journal-in-partnership-with-the-mob-museum-unveil-season-2-of-true-crime-podcast-mobbed-up-the-fight-for-las-vegas-301315056.html |url-status=live }}

After being laid off by the Las Vegas Sun in 2009,{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/09/14/remembering-jeff-german-las-vegas-00056738|title='Blitzstein's Been Murdered. Let's Go.'|date=September 4, 2022|first=Cathy|last=Scott|website=POLITICO|access-date=September 27, 2022|archive-date=September 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925175250/https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/09/14/remembering-jeff-german-las-vegas-00056738|url-status=live}} German joined the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper staff in 2010.

In the aftermath of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, German was the first to report that the shooter had initially fired at two nearby jet fuel tanks at the Las Vegas airport before turning his attention to the music festival site.{{cite web |title=Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German killed outside home |url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/homicides/review-journal-investigative-reporter-jeff-german-killed-outside-home-2634323/ |work=Las Vegas Review-Journal |date=September 4, 2022 |access-date=September 4, 2022 |archive-date=September 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904075937/https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/homicides/review-journal-investigative-reporter-jeff-german-killed-outside-home-2634323/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=September 4, 2022 |title=Las Vegas investigative reporter found fatally stabbed outside home |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-04/las-vegas-investigative-reporter-found-dead-outside-home-with-stab-wounds |access-date=September 5, 2022 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=September 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905010332/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-04/las-vegas-investigative-reporter-found-dead-outside-home-with-stab-wounds |url-status=live }} He also reported on failures in the city's inspections ahead of the fatal 2019 Alpine Motel Apartments fire and investigated mismanagement, unlawful misconduct, and bullying in the office of the Clark County Public Administrator, Robert Telles.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Emily |title=These are some of the stories Jeff German wrote about Robert Telles |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/08/us/jeff-german-robert-telles-stories/index.html |access-date=February 9, 2023 |work=CNN |date=September 8, 2022 |language=en}}

Death

German was found stabbed to death outside his Las Vegas Valley home on September 3, 2022. He was 69 years old.{{cite news |title=Las Vegas Reporter Found Fatally Stabbed Outside His Home, Police Say |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/04/us/las-vegas-reporter-killed.html |work=The New York Times |date=September 4, 2022 |access-date=September 4, 2022 |last1=Medina |first1=Eduardo |archive-date=September 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904213605/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/04/us/las-vegas-reporter-killed.html/ |url-status=live}} The police reported that he had been involved in an altercation with somebody outside his house the day before he was found dead and that they had identified a suspect for his murder. The suspect had worn an orange jacket, straw hat and Nike sneakers.

On September 7, police arrested Clark County Public Administrator{{cite web |title=Clark County Public Administrator |publisher=Clark County, Nevada Government |url=https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/elected_officials/county_public_adminstrator/index.php |access-date=May 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002114445/https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/elected_officials/county_public_adminstrator/index.php |archive-date=October 2, 2023 |url-status=dead}} Robert Telles on suspicion of German's murder after DNA matching Telles was found in the crime scene.{{cite news |last1=Lacanlale |first1=Rio |title=Las Vegas police: DNA match led to elected official's arrest in death of reporter |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/08/las-vegas-dna-arrest-jeff-german-robert-telles/8025422001/ |access-date=February 9, 2023 |work=USA TODAY}}{{cite news |last1=Kaplan |first1=Amy |title=Police: Jeff German Attack Caught on Video; Robert Telles DNA Found at Scene |url=https://heavy.com/news/jeff-german-robert-telles-update/ |work=Heavy.com |date=September 8, 2022}} Telles had lost his re-election bid in the Democratic primary after German published the results of an investigation that found Telles was contributing to a hostile work environment and having an inappropriate relationship with a staffer.{{Cite news |last1=Erickson |first1=Briana |last2=Ferrara |first2=David |last3=Puit |first3=Glenn |date=September 7, 2022 |title=Police arrest county official in reporter's stabbing death |language=en-US |work=Las Vegas Review-Journal |url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/homicides/police-arrest-county-official-in-reporters-stabbing-death-2635486/ |url-status=live |access-date=September 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220908013701/https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/homicides/police-arrest-county-official-in-reporters-stabbing-death-2635486/ |archive-date=September 8, 2022}} In an August 2024 jury trial, Telles was convicted of German's murder.{{cite news |title=New trial date scheduled for Robert Telles as device search continues |first=Matthew |last=Seaman |date=March 26, 2024 |work=KSNV |url=https://news3lv.com/news/local/new-trial-date-scheduled-for-robert-telles-as-device-search-continues |access-date=May 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330161537/https://news3lv.com/news/local/new-trial-date-scheduled-for-robert-telles-as-device-search-continues |archive-date=March 30, 2024 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last=Lenthang |first=Marlene |title=Ex-politician Robert Telles found guilty of murder in stabbing death of Las Vegas investigative journalist |work=NBC News |date=August 28, 2024 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=August 28, 2024 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/verdict-reached-trial-ex-politician-robert-telles-accused-killing-las-rcna168188}} On August 28, 2024, he was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 20 years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4707j31zvo|title=Nevada politician found guilty of murdering reporter Jeff German|date=August 28, 2024|website=BBC News}} On October 16, 2024, he was sentenced to an additional 8 to 20 years on enhancements for using a knife and German being over 60 years old at the time of his murder.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-16 |title=Robert Telles sentenced for murdering RJ reporter Jeff German |url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/former-public-official-to-be-sentenced-in-hearing-in-reporter-jeff-germans-murder-3190648/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Las Vegas Review-Journal |language=en-US}}

The killing of Jeff German was condemned by the Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay in a press-release published on September 9, 2022.{{Cite web |last=O'Hagan |first=Clare |date=September 9, 2022 |title=Director-General condemns killing of news journalist Jeff German in the US |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/director-general-condemns-killing-news-journalist-jeff-german-us |access-date=June 14, 2022 |website=UNESCO}} UNESCO's mandate to "promote the free flow of ideas by word and image" includes the protection of journalists and media workers against any forms of attacks and reprisals related to their duties.{{Cite web |title=Communication and Information |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/communication-information |access-date=June 14, 2023 |website=UNESCO}}{{Cite web |title=Safety of journalists |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/safety-journalists |access-date=June 14, 2023 |website=UNESCO}} German's death is included on UNESCO’s Observatory of Killed Journalists.{{Cite web |title=Observatory of killed journalists |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/safety-journalists/observatory?hub=72609 |access-date=June 14, 2023 |website=UNESCO}}

Personal life

German was a bachelor, and lived alone. His sister is married to editorial cartoonist Mike Smith.{{Cite web |url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2022/09/04/investigative-reporter-jeff-german-stabbed-to-death-las-vegas/5431662321074/ |title=Jeff German, investigative reporter for Las Vegas Review-Journal, stabbed to death |publisher=UPI |date=September 4, 2022}}

Portrayals in television

In the CBS crime documentary 48 Hours narrated by Peter Van Sant, German's killing and the coverage of security footage of suspect Robert Telles and his subsequent arrest are examined in "The Assassination of Jeff German" in 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeff-german-las-vegas-reporter-murder-robert-telles-bullying-investigation-secret-video-48-hours/ |title=Fed up over bullying, Nevada women take secret video of "monster" boss. He was later indicted for murder |publisher=CBS News |date=February 18, 2024}}