Reiner Family Dynamics: FBI Expert Explains How Danger Becomes Normalized Over 20 Years
Today on True Crime Today, we're examining what may be the most painful aspect of the Reiner case—how a family's ability to perceive danger can erode over time until the unthinkable feels normal. Former FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke joins us to break down the family dynamics that allegedly led Rob and Michele Reiner to go to sleep on December 13th, 2025, in the same house with their son Nick—hours after watching him behave erratically at a holiday party. Robin spent 21 years with the FBI, including serving as Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, and he specializes in understanding how trust gets exploited and how threat perception changes over time. The Reiners called police twice in 2019—a welfare check and a mental health call. They perceived danger then. But Rob publicly said he regretted listening to professionals instead of Nick. Robin explains how that shift happens—how someone can train their family to distrust outside expertise over decades. Nick co-wrote a semi-autobiographical film with his father about their relationship. Robin analyzes what that level of narrative control means for family power dynamics. The Reiners had tried tough love. It hadn't worked. They blamed themselves. Robin explains how manufactured guilt functions as a manipulation tool—and how legitimate frustration with a broken system becomes a vulnerability. Sources say the parents became distrustful of medical professionals over the years. At what point does that become something a manipulative person can exploit?#TrueCrimeToday #NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #RobinDreeke #FBI #FamilyDynamics #ThreatBlindness #MentalHealthCrisis #HollywoodTragedyJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & 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.
24 Jan 15min
Harry Lidsky Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial" Part 3
Harry Lidsky, Digital Forensic Examiner, took the stand in the murder trial of Brendan Banfield, the former IRS agent charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors allege Banfield and the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, lured Ryan to their Herndon home through a fetish website and staged the killings as a home invasion.The defense argues digital forensics contradict the catfishing theory and that investigators who disagreed were reassigned. Banfield faces life without parole if convicted. The four-week trial continues in Fairfax County.#TrueCrimeToday #BrendanBanfield #AuPairAffair #MurderTrial #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #FairfaxCounty #JulianaMagalhaes #Justice #BreakingJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & 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.
23 Jan 38min
Nick Barreiro Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"
Nick Barreiro, Audio/Video Forensic Analyst, took the stand in the murder trial of Brendan Banfield, the former IRS agent charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors allege Banfield and the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, lured Ryan to their Herndon home through a fetish website and staged the killings as a home invasion.The defense argues digital forensics contradict the catfishing theory and that investigators who disagreed were reassigned. Banfield faces life without parole if convicted. The four-week trial continues in Fairfax County.#TrueCrimeToday #BrendanBanfield #AuPairAffair #MurderTrial #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #FairfaxCounty #JulianaMagalhaes #Justice #BreakingJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & 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.
23 Jan 23min
Harry Lidsky Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial" Part 2
Harry Lidsky, Digital Forensic Examiner, took the stand in the murder trial of Brendan Banfield, the former IRS agent charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors allege Banfield and the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, lured Ryan to their Herndon home through a fetish website and staged the killings as a home invasion.The defense argues digital forensics contradict the catfishing theory and that investigators who disagreed were reassigned. Banfield faces life without parole if convicted. The four-week trial continues in Fairfax County.#TrueCrimeToday #BrendanBanfield #AuPairAffair #MurderTrial #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #FairfaxCounty #JulianaMagalhaes #Justice #BreakingJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & 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.
23 Jan 1h 22min
Kohberger Victims' Families Sue WSU: Did the University Ignore 13 Warning Signs Before Idaho Murders?
Bryan Kohberger was a teaching assistant at Washington State University when he allegedly stalked, harassed, and terrorized women on campus. At least 13 formal complaints were filed against him. Staff created informal "911" alerts to warn each other when he was around. Women requested security escorts just to avoid interactions with him. One professor allegedly predicted that if WSU gave Kohberger a PhD, they'd hear about him harassing and sexually abusing students down the road. None of it stopped him. On November 13, 2022, Kohberger drove eight miles to Moscow, Idaho, and murdered Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. Now the families of all four victims have filed a 126-page wrongful death lawsuit against WSU, alleging gross negligence, Title IX violations, and deliberate indifference to the danger Kohberger posed. They're arguing the murders were "foreseeable and preventable." Today on True Crime Today, former prosecutor turned criminal defense attorney Eric Faddis breaks down the legal claims. What does the university have to prove in its defense? What will discovery expose? And could this lawsuit set a nationwide precedent for institutional liability when warning signs are ignored?#BryanKohberger #KayleeGoncalves #MadisonMogen #XanaKernodle #EthanChapin #WSULawsuit #TrueCrimeToday #TitleIX #EricFaddis #Idaho4Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & 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.
23 Jan 17min
Nick Reiner Murder Case: TMZ Says "All the Markings of a Meth Murder" - What the Evidence Shows
Breaking down the latest in the Nick Reiner case. TMZ's Harvey Levin went on record saying the Rob and Michele Reiner crime scene had "all the markings of a meth murder" and that Nick was allegedly using meth after his medication was changed. The violence reportedly shocked experienced investigators. So what's really going on here?On True Crime Today, we examine the publicly reported evidence: Nick Reiner's documented history of stimulant abuse from his own podcast appearances, the clinical research on what happens when schizoaffective disorder meets methamphetamine use, and why forensic experts say overkill violence often points to drug involvement rather than just emotional rage.Nick was placed under a strict mental health conservatorship in 2020. His medication was working - until he complained about weight gain and doctors switched his prescription about a month before the alleged killings. Sources say he rapidly destabilized. But his history of cocaine binges, violent outbursts while on uppers, and repeated cycles through rehab raises a harder question.Was this purely a medication-induced psychiatric crisis? Or was something else in his system?We break down what's been reported, what the research says, and what it could mean for the legal case ahead. Nick Reiner is presumed innocent - but the violence pattern demands examination.#TrueCrimeToday #NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #BreakingNews #MethMurder #CrimeUpdate #LAMurder #TrueCrime2026 #HollywoodCrimeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & 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.
23 Jan 16min
Harry Lidsky Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial" Part 1
Harry Lidsky, Digital Forensic Examiner, took the stand in the murder trial of Brendan Banfield, the former IRS agent charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors allege Banfield and the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, lured Ryan to their Herndon home through a fetish website and staged the killings as a home invasion.The defense argues digital forensics contradict the catfishing theory and that investigators who disagreed were reassigned. Banfield faces life without parole if convicted. The four-week trial continues in Fairfax County.#TrueCrimeToday #BrendanBanfield #AuPairAffair #MurderTrial #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #FairfaxCounty #JulianaMagalhaes #Justice #BreakingJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & 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.
23 Jan 2h 10min
Tepe Murders: Defense Attorney Explains How Michael McKee Could Create Reasonable Doubt
The prosecution's case against Michael McKee looks overwhelming—until you examine it from the defense table. Yes, police say they found the murder weapon in his apartment. Yes, his alibi reportedly failed. Yes, family members describe an obsession with his ex-wife Monique Tepe that lasted eight years after their divorce. But McKee's defense team sees opportunities prosecutors don't want to acknowledge. Today on True Crime Today, criminal defense attorney Eric Faddis breaks down exactly how McKee's attorneys might attack the state's case in the Tepe double murder. Faddis is a former felony prosecutor who switched sides and has tried 45+ jury trials—he knows how to find the cracks that create reasonable doubt. We examine the chain of custody issues with a weapon recovered 300 miles from the crime scene, the search warrant challenges that could suppress key evidence, and the difficulty of securing a conviction when no eyewitness places the defendant at the scene. McKee reportedly talked to police before invoking his right to remain silent—can those statements be suppressed or recontextualized? How does defense counter the prosecution's "cold, calculating killer" narrative? Could diminished capacity reframe the entire case? And what happens if prosecutors seek the death penalty in Ohio? Eric Faddis maps out the defense playbook.#TepeMurders #MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #RichardTepe #TrueCrimeToday #DefenseStrategy #EricFaddis #ReasonableDoubt #CriminalDefense #MurderTrialJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & 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.
23 Jan 12min
