LAS VEGAS>> A jury in Nevada has found a Democratic former Las Vegas-area politician guilty of murder in the killing of an investigative journalist who wrote articles critical of his conduct in elected office.

Robert Telles hung his head, shaking it slightly from side to side as the verdict was read Wednesday in Clark County District Court. Jurors deliberated for nearly 12 hours after hearing eight days of evidence in his trial, which began Aug. 12.

Telles, 47, has been jailed without bail since his arrest several days after Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German was found stabbed to death in a side yard of his home over Labor Day weekend 2022.

Jurors are now hearing evidence in the penalty phase of trial before deciding Telles’ sentence.

Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty. Telles faces life in prison without parole, life with parole eligibility at 20 years, or 20 to 50 years in prison.

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said outside the courtroom that he was surprised by the length of time the jury deliberated but is confident jurors carefully considered evidence.

Wolfson said he knew German for “probably close to 40 years” and said the reporter “had a stellar reputation in this community.”

“It’s a crying shame, literally and figuratively” Wolfson said, “that he’s no longer with us.”

Telles denied killing German. He alleged a broad conspiracy of people framed him for German’s killing in retaliation for his effort to root out corruption he saw in his office. “I am not the kind of person who would stab someone. I didn’t kill Mr. German,” he testified. “And that’s my testimony.”

Wolfson called Telles’ claims of a conspiracy “ludicrous.”

“I think the jury’s verdict speaks directly to that,” he said.

Jessica Coleman, a coworker in the troubled county office who attended the trial, sobbed as she exited the courtroom after the verdict was read.

“Finally. Finally,” she said. “Finally the system is working.”

Defense lawyer Robert Draskovich showed the jury an image during closing arguments Monday of a person whose profile didn’t look like Telles’ driving a maroon SUV that evidence showed was key to the crime. He noted that none of German’s blood or DNA was found on Telles, in his vehicle or at his home. He asked jurors to ask themselves, “What evidence is missing?”

Prosecutor Christopher Hamner told jurors that finding Telles guilty would be like “connecting the dots” based on overwhelming evidence they heard — including DNA that matched Telles found beneath German’s fingernails.