LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Day 8 of Robert Telles' murder trial wrapped up on Wednesday with more than an hour long testimony from the defendant.
Telles is the former Clark County public administrator accused of killing Las Vegas Review-Journal journalist Jeff German nearly two years ago.
Witness testimony began with a cell phone data expert Robert Aguero.
Aguero testified findings analyzing Telles' phone, a Google pixel device.
He told jurors there was no location data for Telles' phone in the month of August.
Aguero also said on the day of German's murder, Telles' phone did not send cell signals near or at German's house.
During cross examination, prosecutor Christopher Hamner pointed out there was no outgoing texts or calls between 8:48 a.m. and 2:05 p.m. on Sept. 2, 2022, the day German was killed.
The next witness was probate administrator, Nichole Lofton, who worked with Telles at the public administrator's office.
Lofton testified seeing the video police released of the suspect and not thinking the gait was Telles'.
She said Telles did not seem angry or upset about the articles German had written about him and she is unaware of a maroon Yukon Denali.
The next witness defense called was Terrence Jamison, a general manager at Planet Fitness on Charleston and Fort Apache.
Jamison testified Telles checked in at their gym on Sept. 2, 2022 at 12:09 p.m., but Jamison said it is unclear if Telles checked in on his phone via an app or in person.
A juror asked if there was surveillance camera footage from that day, but Jamison said because the footage was from so far back, there is no footage available.
Telles took the stand at around 3:30 p.m.
"It's a day I've been waiting for two years," Telles said. "I did not kill Mr. German."
Telles appeared jittery and even admitted to jurors he is nervous.
Robert Draskovich, Telles' attorney, said in court his client would be telling his testimony in a narrative of events.
He started off by telling jurors about his background, stating that he worked at a computer store out of high school.
WATCH Telles' full testimony from Wednesday here:
Then, Telles told jurors that when he was public administrator he was trying to expose alleged bribery by a realty group called Compass Realty.
Hamner called objections nearly a dozen times, citing "hearsay" and "improper opinion."
Judge Michelle Leavitt even cautioning Telles to stick to facts.
"Your opinion is not relevant in this case," Leavitt said.
Telles' testimony is expected to continue Thursday morning.
Legal analysts tell Channel 13 now that Telles has taken the stand, he cannot plead the fifth and can be asked anything by prosecution during cross examination.
If convicted, Telles could spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
