July 18, 2009

Betrayal

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

  • Play CBS Video Video Betrayal

    In Full: The twisted case of a computer scientist and the death of his Russian bride. 48 Hours correspondent Maureen Maher reports.

  • Video Stunning Twist

    In exclusive video obtained by "48 Hours Mystery," D.A. Paul Hora describes how convicted murderer Hans Reiser led police to the buried body.

  • Video Hans Reiser Phone Call

    Hear a condensed version of Hans Reiser's phone call to his mother Beverly Palmer.

  • Hans and Nina Reiser

    Hans and Nina Reiser  (CBS)

(CBS)  The murder case against Hans Reiser goes to the jury still a circumstantial case. Nina's body has never been found and that leaves jurors wondering about the possibilities.

"I don’t think Nina was an angel. There were some things brought out in the trial, having an affair with Hans’ best friend," one of the jurors notes.

Clearly, there is some sympathy for Hans, but one fact is never in doubt. "When it came to Nina being dead, there was nothing that told us she wasn’t," another juror remarks.

Jurors deliberated for three days before reaching a verdict: guilty of murder in the first degree.

"When Hans responded to the verdict by saying, 'I felt like I was the best father I could be,' to me, it just cemented his guilt. That is a response of a man who is trying to explain why he murdered his wife, not the response of a man who has just been wrongly convicted of murder," D.A. Hora notes.

Hora applauds the verdict, but it hits defense lawyer Bill Dubois hard. "I was numb by the trial and the tribulations that we went through to get to that spot," he remembers.

Dubois feels the jury was prevented from hearing the truth about Sean Sturgeon. "We tried to point out during the trial that, as a matter of fact, he was a sadomasochist and had violent tendencies. And the prosecution never accounted for his whereabouts or let the jury know anything about him."

Before the trial, Judge Larry Goodman had ruled that the jury could not hear Sean’s brazen statement about killing 8.5 people, so neither side called him to the stand. In fact there is no proof he has ever killed anyone. Sean says his violent past is behind him and that he has "come to Christ."

"This is a game, this whole ‘8.5 victims’ is a game. It is a game to be lying to the police, particularly in the middle of an investigation and to come up with a really extravagant story. So why not just come clean if not, right here, right now. Have you killed eight-and-a-half people?" Maher asks.

"No. I picked a number, I wanted them to leave me alone," says Sean, who remains a free man and was never charged or arrested.


Produced by Paul LaRosa, Gayane Keshishyan and Allen Alter
© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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by 314Diva July 31, 2009 11:26 AM EDT
you can't predict what is in a persons heart....and you'll never know what will push anyone to kill....
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by jbrauthor July 20, 2009 2:25 AM EDT
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.
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by proveit2 January 8, 2009 5:36 AM EST
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?
Reply to this comment
by jbrauthor July 20, 2009 2:21 AM EDT
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.
by proveit2 January 8, 2009 5:22 AM EST
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?

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by carolcape January 6, 2009 8:51 PM EST
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.
Reply to this comment
by jbrauthor July 20, 2009 2:18 AM EDT
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.
by roscoezzz January 4, 2009 10:13 PM EST
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!
Reply to this comment
by jbrauthor July 20, 2009 2:16 AM EDT
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.
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