Reiser Murder Case Captivates '48 Hours' Viewers

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Oakland computer engineer Hans Reiser was sentenced four months ago for murdering his wife Nina, but the national public is still fascinated by his unusual case of a computer genius, his Russian bride, intrigue and murder.

On Saturday night, the CBS news magazine program "48 Hours Mystery" aired a show on Reiser's case, which drew widespread attention because he was charged with murder even though his wife Nina's body wasn't found after she disappeared on Sept. 3, 2006, following a dispute over custody of their children.

The program first aired a segment on Reiser's case on June 3, not long after Reiser was convicted of first-degree murder on April 28.

"48 Hours Mystery" showed exclusive video of Reiser, who was chained to his attorney, William DuBois, leading authorities on July 7 to a remote spot near his house in the Oakland hills where he buried Nina's body.

In return for Reiser's post-verdict cooperation, prosecutor Paul Hora agreed to allow Reiser to plead guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder.

Reiser faced 25 years to life in state prison for first-degree murder, but on Aug. 29 Alameda County Superior Court Judge Larry Goodman sentenced him to the lesser term of 15 years to life.

Nina Reiser, who was born in Russia, trained as a physician there and met Hans when he was doing business there.

She married Hans in 1999, but she separated from him in 2004 and was awarded legal custody of their two children. Nina was 31 at the time she disappeared.

Although Nina's body wasn't found despite a massive and heavily publicized search, Hans Reiser was prosecuted for her death based on circumstantial and blood evidence.

Hans Reiser, 44, spent 11 days on the witness stand denying he had anything to do with Nina's disappearance, but jurors didn't believe him and convicted him of first-degree murder at the end of his six-month trial.

Reiser told "48 Hours Mystery" in an interview that the murder was justified because he was convinced Nina suffered from a psychological disorder and was harming the couple's children.

Reiser told the interviewer, "I don't think that people who hurt children should die, but I think that children should be safe."
Source:cbs5.com