Nick Reiner Case: How a 180-Year-Old Legal Rule Could Set Him Free
The legal battle over Nick Reiner's fate will likely come down to a test created in 1843 after a delusional man shot the wrong person on a London street. The M'Naghten Rule has been used for more than 180 years to determine when mental illness excuses murder. It's about to be applied to the man charged with killing Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner in their Brentwood home.Here's how the rule works: Two prongs, only one required. Prong one—you didn't understand the nature and quality of the act. Prong two—you didn't know it was wrong. Most defendants can't use prong two if they fled, hid evidence, or showed awareness of wrongdoing. Nick Reiner reportedly checked into a hotel after the alleged killings and spent more than 24 hours navigating Los Angeles. That behavior likely kills prong two for him.Which leaves prong one: nature and quality. This is exactly what worked for David Carmichael, a Canadian father who killed his 11-year-old son in 2004. Carmichael planned the murder, researched prison sentences, expected 25 years. But his delusion—triggered by the SSRI Paxil—made him believe his son was suffering, brain-damaged, and dangerous. He didn't understand the true reality of what he was doing. He walked free in roughly two years.Nick Reiner's medication for schizoaffective disorder was reportedly changed approximately one month before the alleged murders. His meds still aren't stabilized. He reportedly still believes his incarceration is a conspiracy. But does that mean his perception was distorted during the act itself? That's the question the defense must answer—and the question that will determine whether a rule from 1843 sets him free.#NickReiner #RobReiner #TrueCrimeToday #InsanityDefense #MNaghtenRule #BrentwoodMurders #CriminalJustice #MentalHealth #DavidCarmichael #TrueCrimeJoin 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.
15 Jan 21min
The Au Pair Affair Murder Trial Of Brendan Banfield: Douglas Gudakunst Testifies: Key Fingerprint Evidence Exposed
Douglas Gudakunst, Fingerprint Specialist with the Fairfax County Police Department, took the stand today in the Brendan Banfield murder trial in Fairfax County, Virginia.Banfield, a former IRS Criminal Investigation agent, faces four counts of aggravated murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and child abuse charges in the February 24, 2023 deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors allege Banfield and the family's Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, were having an affair and conspired to lure Ryan to their Herndon home using a fake profile on a sexual fetish website — then killed both victims and staged it as a home invasion.Magalhães has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is cooperating with prosecutors in exchange for a recommendation of time served. The defense maintains that digital forensic evidence shows Christine Banfield controlled her own devices and that investigators who contradicted the catfishing theory were reassigned.If convicted on all counts, Banfield faces life in prison without parole plus 13 additional years. The trial is expected to last four weeks.#BrendanBanfield #AuPairAffair #BanfieldTrial #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #JulianaMagalhaes #FairfaxCounty #MurderTrial #TrueCrime #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.
15 Jan 18min
Terry Leach Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"
Terry Leach, Detective with the Fairfax County Police Department, 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.
15 Jan 1h 31min
Kenner Fortner Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"
Kenner Fortner, Sgt. with the Fairfax County Police Department, 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.
15 Jan 14min
The Reiners "Grew Used to It" — Psychotherapist Explains the Fatal Trap of Normalizing Danger
Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott explains how Rob and Michele Reiner became trapped in a cycle of crisis and normalization with their son Nick that lasted 30 years and ended in tragedy.Sources say the family had "grown used to" Nick's alarming behavior. At Conan O'Brien's party the night before the murders, other guests considered calling 911—but the Reiners just apologized and left. They paid for 18-plus rehab stays. Michele reportedly said "we've tried everything." And Nick lived in their guest house until the night he allegedly killed them.Shavaun breaks down the psychology of families who normalize behavior that would alarm strangers, how mentally ill individuals learn to manipulate the people who love them, and why unlimited resources couldn't save the Reiners. We also examine what happens to surviving family members after a parricide and why Nick's siblings reportedly oppose the death penalty.#NickReiner #RobReiner #TrueCrimeToday #FamilyDynamics #MentalHealth #Psychology #ShavaunScott #Enabling #ReinerCaseJoin 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.
15 Jan 18min
Dr. McKee's Courtroom Demeanor Has Experts Worried | Tepe Murder Update
Dr. Michael McKee appeared in an Illinois courtroom and waived extradition back to Ohio, where he faces two counts of aggravated murder for the deaths of Spencer and Monique Tepe. Observers described him as arrogant, calm, and confident — walking in with his chin up like he was entering an operating room.The charges have been upgraded from murder to aggravated murder with prior calculation and design, indicating prosecutors believe this was premeditated. In Ohio, that's death penalty eligible.Today we examine what experts are saying about McKee's psychology. Retired FBI agent Maureen O'Connell calls him a "grievance collector" who blamed Monique for ruining his life. Therapist Darby Fox believes he's had this in mind since she filed for divorce in 2017. Retired LAPD Lieutenant Jeff Weninger says McKee likely sees himself as the victim — justified in his actions.We also break down the critical June 2025 court activity that may have triggered the violence. After eight years of no documented contact, something brought McKee and Monique back into the legal system six months before she was killed. Retired Columbus PD detective Jay Fulton theorizes it may have been legal stalking — a way to force her to respond.McKee maintains his innocence. He plans to plead not guilty.Spencer and Monique leave behind two young children who were in the home during the murders.#TrueCrimeToday #MichaelMcKee #TeepeMurders #SpencerTepe #MoniqueTepe #AggravatedMurder #OhioMurder #Extradition #TrueCrimeNews #BreakingNewsJoin 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.
15 Jan 20min
Psychotherapist Breaks Down Nick Reiner's Mind — Schizoaffective Disorder, Meds & Delusion
Psychotherapist and author Shavaun Scott joins Hidden Killers LIVE to explain the psychology inside Nick Reiner's mind. We're taking your questions on schizoaffective disorder, medication destabilization, and how someone can admit to killing while believing their punishment is a conspiracy.Nick was reportedly stable until doctors changed his medication a month before the murders. Sources say he complained about weight gain. Now his meds still aren't stabilized and he's delusional in jail. What happens when psychotic disorders go untreated during a medication transition? What does the "conspiracy" framing tell us about his mental state? And can someone plan something methodically while genuinely not understanding what they're doing?Join us live with your questions. Shavaun brings decades of clinical experience to help us understand what may have been happening inside Nick Reiner before, during, and after the alleged murders.#NickReiner #RobReiner #LIVE #Schizoaffective #MentalHealth #Psychology #HiddenKillersLive #ShavaunScott #TrueCrimeJoin 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.
15 Jan 29min
