Betrayal

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

(CBS) 

Last summer, there was a dramatic development. Hans Reiser shocked everyone by offering to lead police to Nina's body. But there was a catch: he wanted a reduced verdict and less time in prison.

"I had a first-degree murder conviction, I had a maximum conviction and I wouldn’t make a deal with anybody unless I thought it was to our benefit. I had to be sure Nina’s body was gonna be there," Hora remembers.

Hans assured Hora he could deliver Nina’s body. He led investigators into dense woods, just a half mile from his house. Hans was under armed guard, but out of concern that he might try to escape, a plan was hatched.

"Hans agreed to be handcuffed to his lawyer, Mr. Dubois," Hora remembers. "He walked down a small foot path to the top of a hill, over the crest, and then down all of a sudden Hans and his attorney began just bushwhacking through trees and bushes."

"I thought to myself, 'We're never gonna find anything here,'" he adds. "And we got to a point where he crouched down for a minute, and looked into these bushes. And I couldn't see anything, and neither could anyone else."

"And then he got up and he continued down the hill and stopped for a moment. And he said, 'She's right up there. We just passed her,'" Hora explains. "And lo and behold, when you got down and took a real hard look, it looked like an area that had been dug up and then re-covered."

Nina’s remains were buried in a hole that Hans says he dug in the two nights after he killed her. "He said 'If you dig down two feet, Nina’s inside of a garbage bag, a black garbage bag inside of a duffel bag,'" Hora remembers.

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In exclusive video obtained by 48 Hours Mystery, D.A. Paul Hora describes how Hans Reiser led police to Nina's buried body.

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"The first thing that flashed through my head was Rory’s drawing," Hora says. "What are the chances of Rory drawing a drawing like that in Russia months and months before her body’s recovered? Talking about Nina being in a bag and then lo and behold, Nina’s found in a bag."

As part of the deal, Hans is required to provide a detailed confession of how he murdered Nina. "I placed my hands on both sides of her neck and in the most unsophisticated chokehold that any judo instructor would completely despise you for ever using, I choked her," he admits. "I’m very sorry that Nina died. I’m very sorry that Nina died."

Hans says he killed Nina because he felt she was purposely harming their children in order to bring attention to herself. The condition is called Munchausen syndrome by proxy, but Hora denies she had the disorder.

One month later, Hans is back in court. Judge Larry Goodman agrees to lower the verdict to murder in the second degree, and sentences Hans to 15 years to life.

Hora did face criticism for making a deal with Hans to recover Nina’s body, but he says he put Nina’s family’s concerns above all else. "They stand at the front of the line. Their voice is the loudest, and if they want her body and they want that closure to have her remains and to have that comfort in the future, they deserve it."

"What will you tell the kids as they get older? What will you tell them about her?" Maher asks Ellen Doren.

"That they should be proud that they had a mom like that and I’m proud that I had her as my friend."

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Nina was buried in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her children live there with Nina’s mother, Irina.

Hans Reiser will be eligible for parole in 2021.

[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.