We are all pretty chilled by this unexpected news about Nina Reiser. As a bargaining chip, Hans Reiser was brought back to Montclair this afternoon to show authorities where he buried his estranged wife.
Nina was located in a four-foot ditch near the West Ridge Trail, in Redwood Regional Park. I shudder while thinking about how many times I walked right by her grave. This was not exactly a remote spot!
CBS News Producer Paul LaRosa filed this report a little while ago. We all remember the Hans Reiser case, and the defenses including Nina’s escape to Russia. As LaRosa said, “that puts a lie to his story.”
I’m sickened about this visit to the Hills today. With Nina’s body as evidence, Hans might be able to prove the murder wasn’t pre-meditated. This means the sentence could be reduced from 25/life down to 15/life instead. Not that this brings back Nina or changes his kids’ lives in Russia.
Do you recall when Nina first went missing? In Montclair, we were all horrified by this disappearance for a few days and hoped for the best. But those flyers were up long after we knew better. Years later, Hans was convicted of her murder due to overwhelming circumstantial evidence.
Our famous murder case is no longer a mystery. Even though this closes the sordid tale, it will remain chilling for the Reisers’ neighbors.