Episode 76 - Nina Reiser
The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories
themindsofmadness
4.4 • 6.5K Ratings
🗓️ 10 May 2020
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
How to support:
For extra perks including extra content, early release, and ad-free episodes -
Go to - Patreon
How to connect:
Website
Music Credits:
The Minds Of Madness Theme Music – Duncan Foster
The Funkoars – Feel The Madness
Used with Permission - http://goldenerarecords.com.au/ge/funkoars/
Research & Writing:
Christine Penhale
https://thetruecrimefiles.com/
Special Thanks:
Peter & Traci @ PODHIVE
https://www.podhive.com/
Sources:
“Reiser5 File-System In Development - Adds Local Volumes With Parallel Scaling Out.” Phoronix, December 31, 2019.
https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Reiser5-Development
“Hans Reiser.” Computer Hope, November 16, 2019.
https://www.computerhope.com/people/hans_reiser.htm
“Tweets About Hans Reiser.” Twitter, August 2019.
https://twitter.com/vaurorapub/status/1166512356706283523
“Computer Programmer Who Strangled Russian Wife and Buried Her in Shallow Grave is Ordered to Pay Their 'Damaged' Children $60m Compensation.” Daily Mail, July 19, 2012.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2175836/Hans-Reiser-strangled-Russian-wife-buried-shallow-grave-pay-children-60m-compensation.html
“Hans Reiser Loses Civil Suit in His Wife’s Death.” The Charley Project, July 19, 2012.
https://charleyross.wordpress.com/tag/hans-reiser/
“Hans Reiser Must Pay Kids $60 Million.” SF Gate, July 17, 2012.
https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Hans-Reiser-must-pay-kids-60-million-3713670.php
“Jury Awards Hans Reiser’s Children $60 Million in Damages.” The Mercury News, July 17, 2012.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/07/17/jury-awards-hans-reisers-children-60-million-in-damages/
“Wife Killer, Programmer Hans Reiser Must Pay Kids $60M.” CNET, July 17, 2012.
https://www.cnet.com/news/wife-killer-programmer-hans-reiser-must-pay-kids-60m/
“Wrongful-Death Lawsuit Against Hans Reiser in Jury’s Hands.” East Bay Times, July 16, 2012.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2012/07/16/wrongful-death-lawsuit-against-hans-reiser-in-jurys-hands
“Hans Reiser Testifies Wife Was 'Psychopath'.” ABC 13, July 13, 2012.
https://abc13.com/archive/8736206/
“Convicted Killer Reiser Admits Wife Never Directly Harmed Children.” CBC SF Bay Area, July 12, 2012.
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/07/12/convicted-killer-reiser-admits-wife-never-directly-harmed-children/
“Hans Reiser Takes Stand for Hours.” NBC Bay Area News, July 12, 2012.
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/hans-reiser-defends-himself/2095757/
“Reiser Wrongful Death Trial Begins Today.” ABC 7 News, July 11, 2012.
https://abc7chicago.com/archive/8732427/
“Reiser Asks Potential Jurors About Morality of Murder.” ABC 7 News, July 10, 2012.
https://abc7news.com/archive/8731301/
“Convicted of Murder, Linux Guru Hans Reiser Returns to Court to Fight Civil Suit.” Wired, July 6, 2012.
https://www.wired.com/2012/07/linux-guru-returns-to-court/
“Programmed for Murder.” Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege, and Justice, August 28, 2009.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2Spetgu3tY
“San Quentin Prisoner Beaten.” KCBS, January 10, 2009.
https://web.archive.org/web/20090609172728/http://www.kcbs.com/pages/3634907.php
“Extra: A Stunning Twist.” CBS News, December 30, 2008.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/extra-a-stunning-twist/
“Reiser Confesses to Strangling Estranged Wife.” SF Gate, August 30, 2008.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Reiser-confesses-to-strangling-estranged-wife-3197731.php
“Hans Reiser Sentenced: 15 Years to Life.” Wired, August 29, 2008.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRn221y-e8g
“My Interview With Murderer Hans Reiser.” Salon, July 9, 2008.
https://www.salon.com/2008/07/09/hans_reiser
“Hans Reiser Confesses, Leads Police to Murdered Wife's Body.” Linux Journal, July 8, 2008.
https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/hans-reiser-confesses-leads-police-murdered-wifes-body
“Reiser's Desperate Bid for a Reduced Sentence.” The Register, July 8, 2008.
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/08/body_found_reiser/
“Wife-Slaying Linux Guru May Have 'Developmental Disability'.” The Register, July 3, 2008.
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/03/reiser_mentally_incompetent_claim/
“Extra: Hans Reiser's Phone Call.” CBS News, June 3, 2008.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/extra-hans-reisers-phone-call/
“'Geek Defense' Crash-and-Burn: Reiser Found Guilty.” Linux Journal, April 29, 2008.
https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/geek-defense-crash-and-burn-reiser-found-guilty
“Verdict in Hans Reiser Murder Case -- and Fate of Reiser4 – Imminent.” ZDNet, April 28, 2008.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/verdict-in-hans-reiser-murder-case-and-fate-of-reiser4-imminent/
“Hans Reiser: A Creep But Not a Murderer?” Tech Liberation, April 19, 2008.
https://techliberation.com/2008/04/19/hans-reiser-a-creep-but-not-a-murderer/
“Transcript: 20/20's Interview With Hans Reiser.” ABC News, March 4, 2008.
https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=4387343&page=1
“Reiser Trial Borders on the Bizarre.” Fog City Journal, February 22, 2008.
http://www.fogcityjournal.com/news_in_brief/bcn_hans_reiser_080222.shtml
“Berkeley Alumnus Hans Reiser On Trial for Wife's Murder.” The Daily Californian, February 14, 2008.
https://archive.dailycal.org/article.php?id=100390
“Nina Reiser's Mother, Defense Attorney Verbally Sparring at Hans Reiser Murder Trial.” Wired, February 14, 2008.
https://www.wired.com/2008/02/nina-reisers-3/
“Hans Reiser Trial: Jan. 31, 2008.” SF Gate, January 31, 2008.
https://blog.sfgate.com/localnews/2008/01/31/hans-reiser-trial-jan-31-2008/
“Surprise Video Shows Reiser at Berkeley Bowl on Day She Disappeared.” SF Gate, January 16, 2008.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Surprise-video-shows-Reiser-at-Berkeley-Bowl-on-3232240.php
“Contents of Nina Reiser's Van Detailed in Murder Trial Testimony.” SF Gate, January 18, 2008.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Contents-of-Nina-Reiser-s-van-detailed-in-murder-3230560.php
“Betrayal.” 48 Hours, January 3, 2008.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/betrayal-29-12-2008/
“Reiser Boyfriend Says Mom Wouldn’t Abandon Her Kids.” East Bay Times, December 6, 2007.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2007/12/06/reiser-boyfriend-says-mom-wouldnt-abandon-her-kids/
“Reiser Kids Called Mom a Lying Thief, Boyfriend Testifies.” SF Gate, December 6, 2007.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Reiser-kids-called-mom-a-lying-thief-boyfriend-3233193.php
“Hans Reiser's Angry E-Mails to His Wife Read in Oakland Court.” SF Gate, November 28, 2007.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Hans-Reiser-s-angry-e-mails-to-his-wife-read-in-3235626.php
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | The opinions expressed in the following episode do not necessarily reflect those of the Minds of Madness Podcast. |
| 0:07.0 | Listener discretion is advised. Oh, On Sunday, September 3rd, 2006, Nina Reiser dropped her kids off with their father Hans, so they could spend |
| 0:46.7 | some time with him over the Labor Day weekend. |
| 0:49.9 | But when she missed a couple of dinner dates and failed to pick up her children from school on Tuesday, |
| 0:55.6 | friends alerted police. She was missing. |
| 0:59.2 | Nina had completely vanished. |
| 1:02.4 | Join me now. had completely vanished. |
| 1:04.2 | Join me now as we explore the case of a young woman who thought she'd finally found |
| 1:10.4 | her Prince Charming a chance for a better life. |
| 1:14.0 | Instead, you'll hear how unfulfilled dreams, deceit, and a desire to control resulted in a tragedy with a devastating outcome. Hans Reiser was born on December 19th, 1963 and grew up in the hills of Oakland, California with his parents, Ramon Rizer |
| 1:46.7 | and Beverly Palmer. |
| 1:48.5 | Although he was considered well-behaved and a smart kid growing up, he dropped out of school when he was 13, feeling bored and |
| 1:56.2 | stifled by the conventional school system. Hans also struggled socially, often being bullied for not quite fitting in. |
| 2:05.0 | Despite not having many friends, he did have a best friend. |
| 2:09.2 | Sean Sturgeon, who he spent countless hours playing Dungeons and Dragons with. |
| 2:15.0 | Even though Hans had dropped out of school, he still managed to get into UC Berkeley because of his high SAT scores when he applied at age 15. |
| 2:25.0 | During his years at university, Hans kept himself busy, studying and working part-time as software |
| 2:31.9 | jobs. On the side he also dabbled in martial arts, |
| 2:36.5 | designed a role-playing game, and wrote science fiction stories. But just like high school, Hans had trouble fitting into the university scene. |
| 2:46.3 | He was much younger than many of his classmates, and they thought he was not only eccentric, |
| 2:51.9 | but obnoxious as well. After 12 years Hans finally earned his bachelor's degree |
| 2:58.6 | in design of theoretical models and was happy to put university behind him. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from themindsofmadness, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of themindsofmadness and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.