1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Crime Alard hourly update breaking crime news Now. 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 2: I'm Jackie Howard. The former Las Vegas politician convicted of 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 2: killing investigative journalist Jeff Gearman will spend the next twenty 4 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 2: eight years in prison for his deeds. In determining the sentence, 5 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 2: a judge used facts of use of a deadly weapon, 6 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 2: lying in wait, and the age of the reporter, adding 7 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 2: eight years to the minimum twenty years sentenced after finding 8 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 2: Robert Tellus guilty of murder. Tellus addressed Gearman's family during 9 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 2: this sentencing, offering his condolences and maintaining his innocence. The 10 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 2: jury deliberated twelve hours over three days to reach a 11 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 2: judgment after listening to hours of evidence. In opening statements, 12 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 2: Chief Deputy District Attorney Pamela Weckerley details how the body 13 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 2: of the Las Vegas Review Journal reporter was discovered by 14 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 2: concerned neighbors on September third. 15 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 3: Still having no response, Roy Biley walked over to Chairman's. 16 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 4: House and was trying to check on him. 17 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 3: Found his neighbor Jeff Garman, on the side of his house. 18 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:05,119 Speaker 2: Mister Garman was. 19 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 4: Over sixty years old at the time, and so initially it. 20 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 3: Was thought that maybe he had had a medical episode. 21 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 3: Soon after, though, it was discovered that he had been murdered. 22 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 2: In fact, Garman had been stabbed. 23 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 3: Mister German had sharp force injuries to multiple parts of 24 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 3: his body all over. 25 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 4: He also, when they found him on September the third, 26 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 4: had signs of decomposition, indicating that he had not been 27 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 4: killed on the third, but was killed earlier. 28 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: One day earlier, as proved by the same neighbors who 29 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 2: found the reporter, their home surveillance video captured a suspect 30 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 2: lying in wait. Police found German's phone still in his pocket, 31 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 2: his car keys too, and his wallet was full of money, 32 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 2: indicating that robbery was not the case. Then there was 33 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 2: the conflicts raised by Gearman's work Captain Dory Corn, who tell. 34 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 5: Us was upset about articles that were being written by 35 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 5: German as an investigative journalist that exposed potential wrongdoing, and 36 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 5: tell Us had publicly expressed his issues with that reporting. 37 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 5: Tell Us was also upset that there was additional reporting 38 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 5: that was pending. 39 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 2: The wrongdoing included bullying, harassment, and an inappropriate relationship with 40 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 2: a co worker in Tellis' office. Tell Us, his defense attorney, 41 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 2: Robert Draskovich, says tell Us intends to appeal War crime 42 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 2: and Justice News. 43 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:34,519 Speaker 1: After this. 44 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 2: Video of a dog tied to a fence a long 45 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 2: Eye seventy five took social media by storm, Florida State 46 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 2: troopers received a tip about the animal. Trooper Orlando Morales 47 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 2: found the dog standing in water up to his chest 48 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 2: and neck area, appearing to be in severe distress. The 49 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 2: dog was rescued and the search began for his owner. 50 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 2: Well he's been found. Twenty three year old Giovanni Garcia 51 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 2: Ruskin says he left his dog on the side of 52 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 2: the road because he couldn't find anyone to pick up 53 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 2: the dog that he called Jumbo as he evacuated ahead 54 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:12,119 Speaker 2: of Hurricane Milton. As word of the dog's rescue got out, 55 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 2: the Hillsboro County Animal Shelter contacted tripper Morales, claiming that 56 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 2: Garcia visited the facility with photos of the dog trying 57 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 2: to prove ownership to get him back. Florida's State Attorney, 58 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 2: Susie Lopez, has other plans. 59 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 5: This defendant will be charged with aggravated animal cruelty that's 60 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 5: a third degree felony. 61 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 2: The Leon County Animal Shelter is currently in possession of 62 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 2: the dog, but reached out to Garcia, who told the 63 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 2: shelter that if the current foster will take good care 64 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 2: and love the dog, he will surrender ownership. I don't 65 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 2: think he's going to have any choice about that. Being 66 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 2: charged with a felony, Garcia could get up to five 67 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 2: years in prison for what he did. The dog's name 68 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 2: is now Trooper, but he's not up for adoption yet. 69 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: Veronic Careis Diaz twenty three, has a girl's night out 70 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: daver Florida. A friend drops her off at her home, 71 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: where her husband and little child are sleeping. Veronica gets 72 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: into her car to pick up her two older children 73 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: from her sisters. She tucks the children in. Evidence suggests 74 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: she planned to go out again. Her Chevy Yukon is 75 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 1: parked outside the family home, keys and wallet inside. Veronica 76 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: has not been seen since her cell phone shut down 77 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: or dies before it can be located. Veronica Rais Diaz 78 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: twenty three, four to ten, one hundred and forty five pounds, 79 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: brown hair, brown eyes. She has a dark mole under 80 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 1: her left eye, now missing four years. If you have 81 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 1: info on Veronica res Diaz called Hillsborough County, Florida Sheriffs 82 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: eight one, three, two, four, seven, eighty two hundred for. 83 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 2: More crime and justice news. Followed the crime Alert hourly 84 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 2: update on your favorite podcasting app with this crime Alert, 85 00:04:58,600 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 2: I'm Jackie Howard