An expert on crime scenes offers gloomy facts about...

Slain OverviewA Las Vegas police crime scene analyst said that investigative reporter Jeff German of the Journal had slashes on the front and back of the clothing he was wearing when he was killed.

In the days following the murder, Robert Telles, the former public servant suspected of killing German in September 2022, sustained bruises on his upper right arm and several finger injuries.

Jennifer Manning, a senior crime scene analyst with the Metropolitan Police Department, testified on Friday for Telles’ impending trial, and she said as much.

During German’s autopsy on September 4, 2022, Manning took pictures and notes of German’s body and gathered evidence, such as mouth and hand swabs, fingernail clippings, and the clothes German was wearing when he was slain.

German, 69, was discovered dead on September 3 from stab wounds outside his Las Vegas house. Prosecutors claim that the previous day, Telles entered German’s property and stabbed him.

German, an experienced investigative journalist, began writing on the unrest at the Clark County Public Administrator’s Office—which manages the estates of the deceased—in May 2022. Telles then failed in his attempt to win reelection as the county public administrator.

German’s fingernails had Telles’ DNA under them, according to the prosecution. Telles, who entered a not guilty plea, asserts that a nearby real estate company set him up.

According to Manning, German’s clothes was so “saturated” with blood that it had to be dried in biohazard drying cabinets before being preserved as evidence.

On September 7, 2022, the day Telles was arrested, she took additional pictures of Telles.

Manning reported seeing three injuries: a bruise on Telles’ upper right arm, a cut on his left middle finger, a cut on his left ring finger that had been bandaged and later taken off.

Manning also took a buccal swab—a device that takes a sample of a person’s DNA from their mouth—and Telles’ pants and belt.

Manning would not be available for the current trial dates, according to prosecutors’ earlier statements. On Friday, her testimony was captured on camera.

Weckerly questioned Manning about whether or not she simultaneously possessed the German and Telles evidence.

“Have you ever had both the evidence you took from Mr. German during the autopsy and the buccal swab from Mr. Telles at the same time?” Weckerly enquired.

“I wasn’t,” Manning responded.

“Those were gathered and seized on various dates?” Weckerly enquired.

“They were, indeed.”

“And maintained complete segregation.”

“Yes,” replied Manning.

Draskovich questioned Manning about whether she had measured the potential cuts on the shirt—which Manning and the attorneys had referred to as “defects” in court—and whether she had done any additional research on the flaws.

“It appeared to be a cut.”

Weckerly had already requested Manning to elaborate on the flaws she noticed in the clothing.

“I observed that there were flaws in both the front and back of the shirt,” Manning stated.

Weckerly inquired as to the appearance of the flaws.

When Weckerly inquired about the number of cuts on the shirt, Manning responded, “I would say it looked like a cut,” answering in the affirmative.

Manning said she wasn’t asked to take pictures or record any items that might have contributed to the flaws when the question was posed to her.

Weckerly then inquired as to Manning’s standard procedure for measuring a flaw in apparel. Weckerly pointed out that additional study would be conducted if there was a weapon to compare the clothing to, and Manning agreed. Manning stated that it wouldn’t be her and that someone from the forensics lab would typically be involved in further investigation.

The crime scene analyst was described by Draskovich on Monday as a “relatively minor” witness, although it was noteworthy as she stated during her testimony that no analysis had been done on

Draskovich stated on Monday, “We’re consulting with experts concerning the DNA evidence.”

The trial of Telles will begin on March 18.