Authorities say Jeff German's initial investigation into Robert Telles and follow-up stories were the motivation for Telles to fatally stab German last week at the reporter's home.
Glenn Cook, executive editor of the Review-Journal, said there was talk within the newspaper about Telles being “unhinged” but he never made any physical threats against German and the reporter never said he was worried.
Killings of journalists in the U.S. in retaliation for their work are extremely rare. Up until German’s death, eight journalists have been killed in the U.S. since 1992, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The deadliest attack came in 2018 when a shooting at the Capital Gazette in Maryland left five dead.
Former co-workers along with attorneys and government officials German counted on as sources called him a hard-nosed, tenacious journalist who could be gruff at times, especially if someone didn’t know him or was holding back information. Telles, a Democrat who apparently had never served in public office until he was elected in 2018, oversaw less than 10 people and was paid about $120,000 a year to run an office that deals with estates and the property of people after they die. Before that he was a lawyer practicing probate and estate law.
Telles ended up finishing last in the three-way primary and was serving out the remainder of his term at the time of the killing.
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