Two summers go, longtime Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German was slain outside the home of his Las Vegas home.
Robert Telles, the Clark County Public Administrator at the time, has been accused in the killing, and the case is still going through the legal system.
The case rattled journalists nationwide and shook the Las Vegas community, some of whom had voted to put Telles into office.
But as time went on, more information came out about the stories German was working on and staff in Telles’ office wasn’t happy with the way he was managing the office, or his personal affairs.
Now a book has come out about German and the case as it stands so far. It’s titled: “The Last Story: The Murder of an Investigative Journalist in Las Vegas,” by editor Art Kane.
Kane said what was shocking to him and others who knew the story German was working on, was that it wasn’t that hard hitting. When German was killed, Telles had already lost a primary election and would have been out of the office when his term ended.
“Our top editors here have been quoted saying this is not the most hard-hitting story,” he said. “I don't think any of us were expecting this. And in fact, until (Telles) was arrested, I really didn't think it was anything more than someone surprising a burglar or that it was a random thing. So I think it came a surprise to everybody.”
Kane wrote the book, he said, because even months after the murder, he talked to journalists around the country who had never even heard of it.
“This is clearly -- if police and prosecutors are right -- one of the most egregious cases of a public official killing a journalist because of his work,” Kane said. “We just don't think of that happening here. We think of it happening in other countries, and it does happen here. Very rarely, luckily. But it’s such an egregious case that I think I wanted to get it out the story out as to as many people as possible.”
German never married and didn’t have kids or a pet. Kane estimated he spent 90% of his time working on his investigative stories.
“And I think kind of what I come away with it is, he he really dedicated his life to journalism and getting out the truth and trying to hold government accountable,” he said.
Kane interviewed some 90 people for the book. He said he did so to tell a true story, warts and all, about German the man, and German the journalist.
“Even though there's things that are positive and negative about Jeff, I think he would have looked at it and said this is all true,” Kane added. “I would hope that he would be proud of the book.”
Guest: Art Kane, investigations editor, Las Vegas Review-Journal
