The Legal Problems No One’s Talking About in the Anna Kepner Cruise Ship Murder

True Crime Today covers the latest bombshell developments in the Nick Reiner case. Sources tell TMZ that Nick reportedly admits to killing Rob and Michele Reiner—but doesn't understand why he's in jail. He allegedly believes the people who incarcerated him are engaged in a conspiracy against him.Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins us to analyze what this means for the investigation and the inevitable insanity defense. Nick's medication for schizoaffective disorder was reportedly changed about a month before the murders because he complained of weight gain. According to the TMZ documentary, his meds still aren't stabilized and jail doctors are still trying to figure it out.The Reiner family reportedly spent a fortune on dual-diagnosis treatment facilities over the years. But Nick would only stay 30 days—long enough to get clean off drugs but not long enough to address the underlying mental illness. Dr. Drew Pinsky called 30 days "almost meaningless" for someone with Nick's history and suggested he needed permanent custodial care.Other key developments: The murder weapon has not been found. LAPD sealed the autopsy reports on Christmas Eve. Nick checked into a Santa Monica hotel after the alleged killings before being found wandering near USC the next night. And the prosecutor assigned to the case is Habib Balian—who handled Menendez and Durst.Coffindaffer explains how investigators evaluate insanity claims, what Nick's behavior reveals, and why this case may take years to resolve.#NickReiner #RobReiner #TrueCrimeToday #FBI #Murder #InsanityDefense #Schizoaffective #JenniferCoffindaffer #TrueCrime #InvestigationJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

13 Tammi 22min

On November 29, 2025, 19-year-old Brianna Aguilera fell from a 17th-floor balcony at the 21 Rio Apartments in Austin, Texas. She had been in town for the Texas A&M vs. Texas football game, tailgating with friends before ending up at a friend's apartment in West Campus. By 1 a.m., she was dead. Five days later, Austin Police declared it a suicide — without a completed autopsy, without toxicology results, and without processing a rape kit that had been collected.Her family says that's not good enough.Attorney Tony Buzbee, representing Brianna's parents, has publicly accused APD of conducting a "lazy" and "shoddy" investigation. A neighbor who lived across the hall has come forward claiming she heard screaming, arguing, and what sounded like a fight on the balcony in the minutes before Brianna went over. That same neighbor says police never entered the apartment and never interviewed her.Now the family has filed a $1 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Latin Economics and Business Association — the organizations that hosted the tailgate where Brianna was allegedly overserved alcohol despite being underage. But the lawsuit isn't just about accountability. It's about access — to witnesses, phone records, and evidence the family believes APD ignored.Brianna's mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, says her daughter was afraid of heights and would never have jumped. She's calling for a second autopsy and demanding the Texas Rangers take over the investigation.Was this a suicide? An accident? Or something worse? The answers aren't in yet — and that's exactly the problem.#BriannaAguilera #TexasAM #AustinPolice #TonyBuzbee #WrongfulDeathLawsuit #TrueCrimeToday #Justice #CrimePodcast #BreakingNews #InvestigationJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

13 Tammi 18min

Two killings. Two sets of warnings. Two victims who knew the person who would end their lives — and still didn't see it coming.Nick Reiner's schizophrenia medication was changed three to four weeks before he allegedly stabbed his parents to death. His mother Michele had been telling friends they were at their wits' end. The night before the murders, his behavior at Conan O'Brien's party was so alarming his parents left early after a shouting match. By December 14th, Rob and Michele Reiner were dead in their Brentwood home.A lawyer warned Judge Kevin Mullins directly that Sheriff Mickey Stines was falling apart. Mullins did nothing. Days before the shooting, Stines gave a tense deposition in a lawsuit connecting both men to allegations of sexual misconduct. They had lunch together the day of the killing. Then Mullins was dead in his chambers.Former FBI Behavioral Analysis Chief Robin Dreeke joins True Crime Today to examine what these cases teach us about why people fail to act on obvious red flags — especially when the threat is someone they trust. We break down the behavioral patterns, the institutional blind spots, and why having all the information in the world doesn't always save you from someone determined to do harm.#RobinDreeke #NickReiner #MickeyStines #TrueCrimeToday #FBI #RobReiner #KevinMullins #BehavioralAnalysis #TrueCrime #MentalHealthJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice

13 Tammi 49min

The Brendan Banfield murder trial begins Monday, January 12th, 2026. This is the complete breakdown of the case before opening statements.On February 24, 2023, police found Christine Banfield, 37, stabbed to death in her Herndon, Virginia bedroom. Joseph Ryan, 39, lay feet away — shot twice by two different guns. Christine was nude. Ryan was fully clothed. A knife, two firearms, and fetish sex accessories were scattered around the room. The Banfields' 4-year-old daughter was in the basement.Prosecutors allege Brendan Banfield, an IRS criminal investigator, conspired with the family's au pair Juliana Peres Magalhaes to murder his wife. They say the pair created a fake FetLife profile in Christine's name to lure Ryan to the house, then killed them both and staged it to look like self-defense against a home invader.But Fairfax County Police's own digital forensics expert contradicted that theory. Officer Brendan Miller analyzed 60 devices and concluded Christine appeared to be the one controlling the account. His findings were peer-reviewed and confirmed. Then he was transferred out of the unit.The prosecution's star witness is Juliana, who changed her story after a year in jail and got a deal to walk free if she testifies. She wrote to her mother: "I'm heartbroken for doing this to Brendan... But it's the right thing to do. For you. I want to be with you again."The lead prosecutor was removed after being cited for drinking at 8 a.m. Key evidence has been excluded. Defense attorney John Carroll says this is "a theory in search of facts."Four weeks. Cameras in the courtroom. A nurse and an innocent man are dead. The trial starts now.#TrueCrimeToday #BrendanBanfield #AuPairMurder #ChristineBanfield #HerndonVirginia #MurderTrial #JulianaMagalhaes #FetLifeMurder #TrueCrimeNews #FairfaxCountyJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

13 Tammi 33min

Days before Mickey Stines killed Judge Kevin Mullins, he sat for a deposition in a lawsuit accusing his deputies of sexual misconduct — misconduct that allegedly happened in Mullins' chambers. The deposition was described as "tense." Then Mullins was dead. And fifteen months later, still no official motive.Robin Dreeke spent his FBI career understanding what happens when people feel trapped. When exposure threatens everything. When pressure finds its breaking point. He joins True Crime Today to examine what may have really driven this killing — and what the silence around motive tells us about who's being protected.#MickeyStines #TrueCrimeToday #RobinDreeke #FBI #KevinMullins #TrueCrimeNews #Leverage #CourthouseShootingJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

12 Tammi 13min

The ex-husband of Monique Tepe has been arrested and charged with murdering her and her husband Spencer Tepe in their Columbus, Ohio home. Michael David McKee, 39, a vascular surgeon living in Chicago, was taken into custody Saturday in Rockford, Illinois, after detectives linked him to a vehicle captured on surveillance footage near the crime scene. Spencer Tepe, 37, a dentist, and Monique Tepe, 39, were found shot dead on December 30, 2025. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds; she was shot at least once in the chest. Three 9mm casings were found inside. No weapon was recovered. No forced entry. Their two children — a 4-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son — were found unharmed. McKee and Monique married in August 2015 and separated seven months later. Divorce documents reveal Monique listed both her engagement and wedding rings as "Separate Property" with the explanation "I paid." The separation agreement required her to reimburse McKee $1,281.59 with a 23% interest penalty. She filed for divorce citing incompatibility and paid for a private judge to speed things up. Eight years passed. She remarried. Had kids. Built a life. And then, allegedly, her ex-husband drove from Illinois and killed her and Spencer in the home where they'd exchanged vows. Police have not released a motive. McKee awaits extradition to Ohio.#TepeMurders #MichaelMcKee #SpencerTepe #MoniqueTepe #ColumbusOhio #OhioMurder #ExHusbandCharged #WeinlandPark #DoubleHomicide #TrueCrimeTodayJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

12 Tammi 19min

Major development in the Reiner murder case. According to TMZ, Nick Reiner — charged with the brutal stabbing deaths of his parents Rob and Michele Reiner — admits he killed them but genuinely believes his incarceration is part of a conspiracy against him. Sources say he doesn't understand why he's in jail. This comes as Nick's defense team has shifted dramatically — high-profile attorney Alan Jackson withdrew from the case on January 7th, and Nick is now represented by a public defender. His arraignment has been pushed to February 23rd. But here's what makes this leak significant: whether Nick's conspiracy belief is genuine psychosis or calculated positioning, it lands exactly where an insanity defense needs it to. The legal standard in California isn't about knowing right from wrong — it's about understanding the "nature and quality" of your actions. A man who can't connect "I killed my parents" to "therefore I'm in jail" might meet that standard. TMZ's sources also reveal that Nick's medications for schizoaffective disorder were changed about a month before the murders and are still not working properly. If true, Nick may be sitting in Twin Towers Correctional Facility in active psychosis right now. But Nick also has a long history that complicates any sympathy — eighteen rehab stays, years of alleged manipulation, and a pattern of working every system designed to help him. His own parents reportedly couldn't tell when he was genuinely sick versus when he was playing them. Now a jury has to figure it out. We break down what this means for the case, why the timing matters, and the impossible question at the heart of this tragedy.#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #ReinerMurder #BreakingNews #TrueCrimeToday #InsanityDefense #MentalHealth #TrueCrime #CaseUpdateJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

12 Tammi 19min

Paranoid behavior. Rapid weight loss. A lawyer warning Judge Mullins directly that the sheriff was "losing it." A medical diagnosis the day before the shooting. None of it stopped what happened.Retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke joins True Crime Today to break down why warning signs get missed — especially when the person showing them has a badge, a title, and years of trust behind them. What did the people around Stines see? What did they miss? And what should have triggered intervention before it was too late?#MickeyStines #TrueCrimeToday #RobinDreeke #FBI #KevinMullins #TrueCrimeNews #CourthouseShooting #BehavioralAnalysisJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

12 Tammi 11min