Betrayal

A Computer Genius, His Russian Bride, The KGB, Intrigue And Murder

(CBS)  This story was previously broadcast on Jan. 3, 2009. It was updated on July 18, 2008.

California computer whiz Hans Reiser seemed to have it all - including a beautiful Russian wife, who was a doctor, and two children. That perfect life hit turbulence when his wife, Nina, had an affair with one of his best friends. Hans and Nina eventually separated and got into a bitter custody fight.

Fast forward to Labor Day weekend 2006, when Nina dropped the children off at their father's house, and mysteriously vanished in the hours that followed.

What happened to Nina Reiser?

Correspondent Maureen Maher reports on the twisted case involving a computer genius, foreign intrigue, and a best friend's betrayal.

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Sean Sturgeon knew Hans and Nina Reiser better than almost anyone, and he had a particular fondness for Nina.

Asked what he loved most about her, Sean tells correspondent Maureen Maher, "That she got excited, she'd jump up and down like a pogo stick. She wanted to taste the world, she wanted to grow. I love that she loved life."

The last time he spoke to her, it was about some money he had left in her mailbox. "Called her up and said, 'Honey, there's some money there. I know you need it.' She said, 'Sean, I don't know when I can pay you back.' That was the last time I saw her," he remembers.

That was the same weekend Nina was making plans with her good friend, Ellen Doren. "Sunday morning she called and she said 'Why don't we have dinner together? I can bring dinner to your house,'" Ellen remembers.

Nina and Ellen are both Russian and they both had American husbands. Ellen says Nina often spoke of her husband, Hans.

Theirs was a relationship that began half a world away from Oakland.

It was back in the 1990s in St. Petersburg, long known as Russia's window to the west, where Nina, an obstetrician, and Hans, a computer wizard, first met. They had very little in common, but the quirky American managed to make the young, beautiful doctor look twice. Once smitten, the two quickly became serious.

Hans was one of the visionaries behind the Linux computer operating system and was in Russia looking for cheap programmers for his new software company.

Josh Davis, a writer for Wired magazine and a 48 Hours consultant, says Hans was developing an expertise in something called "file systems."

"It's one of the most basic parts of a computer. Hans felt very passionate that this was what he was going to make his life’s work," Davis says.

His life’s work, it turned out, included having a Russian wife, says best friend Sean Sturgeon. "There was the Hans flow chart, and the Hans flow chart was pretty, you know, basic. He said to me, 'I want a beautiful, well-educated, professional woman to give up everything to have my children and raise them.'"

Hans thought he'd found what he was looking for when he spotted a photo of Nina in a Russian bride magazine.

Asked if she truly fell in love with Hans, Sean says, "I think that she loved him."

[314Diva]

you can't predict what is in a persons heart....and you'll never know what will push anyone to kill....

[jbrauthor]

The sad moral to this story is as follows. Men bring an insane phsycial passion for the woman they marry or live with, and once that man's feelings and/or love is betrayed, that love and passion turns to the same level of hate. If I was 2/3 the size of a man, and only 2/3 strong as a man I certainly would not want to test his temperment by openly betraying him. Nina played an extremely dangerous game. She not only betrayed him, but then wanted full custody of the kids which only made Hans more angry.

[proveit2]

Insane? Pretend you''re him. Your best buddy marries this great lady and doesn''t treat her so good. You try to help and wind up in love with her. She files for divorce and wants to marry you, but she''s scared of losing the kids so she drops you for someone he might hate less. Then she disappears. You guess the worst. You know your old buddy''s smart, and he''s gonna try to pin it on you. You''re told you have to testify. You want to be left alone, but no chance. Your phone rings all day and all night, it''s driving you
insane?

[jbrauthor]

Surely, you jest by calling Nina a great lady. She betrays one husband, and them marries and stays with another husband who is a sado-maschchist. She had enough money coming in that she didn't have to be desperate and marry the first rich guy she met. She had less substance than the man who killed her.

[proveit2]

Insane? Think about it. You grow up with a guy, he''s like your brother, but he''s a jerk. He marries this wonderful woman. He makes the wedding a joke and asks you to help. He doesn''t treat her so good. You try to help and wind up in love with each other. She files for divorce.

Your old buddy now hates you. He''ll never accept you raising his kids. She''s so scared of losing them she hooks up with another guy that hubby might not hate so much.

Then she disappears. You know in your gut he killed her. You''re a wreck. You know how smart he is. He''s going to try to pin it on you. They want you to testify. You want to be left alone, but that''s not going to happen. Your phone rings all day and all night. The whole thing is driving you

Insane?

[carolcape]

This man is definitely a cold blooded killer. Just so cold that he murdered the mother of his children while they were in the house. He gives me the chills watching him and especially when he spoke in the courtroom. I think he is still a dangerous man. The other man that she went out with, creepy. He is actually a madman. I can see why he would be a suspect also. She must have been scared of him, I think. Why do these women always put themselves in danger. She was afraid of him, so why go to a secluded place with her kids. This madman would find a way to kill you, because he is desperate to do so. It happens time and again, just go over some of the 48 hour cases and it is a repeat. The guy that said he killed 7.5 people, a madman and he could have. Did you see his eyes, creepy ,creepy, creepy. Her husband is just where he should be, behind bars.

[jbrauthor]

Nina used awfully poor judgement with the men that she chose to be with. She should have put her kids first instead of looking for a rich meal ticket. She didn't need a meal ticket, she was going to make good money as a Doctor.

[roscoezzz]

This guy planned it. If he got caught he would make a plea deal to show the prosecutors where his ex-wife''s body was. It worked. He got a second degree conviction instead of first degree.
But, in time this guy is going to pay for what he did. What gets me is, if he was such a Genius. Why did he take the witness stand? He made a fool of himself. That spelled guilty right there.
That poor Russian woman. These American men she went with were sick and demented. The supposed best friend was just insane. Insane!

[jbrauthor]

Juries always want to her from the accussed, especially in a ambiguous case. His testimony did not convict, but his son's testimony did. Nina was a Doctor, who should have stuck to being a doctor and mother instead of trying to find a rich
American husband. if a woman betrays one man, she will certainly betray another. She played a most dangerous game and payed for it with her life.