Our week in review on the Nick Reiner case — the dramatic attorney shakeup and the years of warning signs that led to December 14th.

Alan Jackson, the million-dollar attorney who got Karen Read acquitted, told a Los Angeles judge he had "no choice" but to withdraw from Nick Reiner's defense. Sources point to money. Nick now has Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene — who was informed last night, had thirty seconds to meet her client, and carries nineteen years of experience into a case that will define careers. Arraignment postponed to February 23rd. No plea entered. For the first time in thirty-two years, Nick Reiner faces the justice system without unlimited resources.

But we also examined what everyone saw coming. A neighbor said this wasn't the first time Nick had been violent. An LAPD insider confirmed "quite a few calls for service" to the Reiner home over the years. The night before his parents were found stabbed to death, Nick was reportedly so erratic at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party that guests were unnerved. Rob allegedly told friends that night: "I'm petrified of Nick. I think my own son can hurt me."

Defense attorney Bob Motta joined us to break down the warning signs and the system that couldn't respond. Nick had been through seventeen rehab programs. He'd admitted on podcasts to gaming those programs. Professionals reportedly warned the family for years. California's LPS Act made intervention nearly impossible — requiring imminent danger, not probable danger, not visible deterioration. Rob and Michele were legally trapped with no way to force treatment. Some tragedies are preventable. Some aren't.

#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #AlanJackson #KimberlyGreene #BobMotta #LPSAct #MentalHealthCrisis #HiddenKillers #WeekInReview

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod
X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod

Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Defense attorney Bob Motta joins us to break down the seven-month delay in the Sarah Grace Patrick murder trial and what it reveals about the prosecution's case.

Sarah Grace Patrick, 17, is charged as an adult with two counts of murder in the shooting deaths of her mother Kristin Brock and stepfather James Brock in Carroll County, Georgia. The couple was found shot in their bed on February 20th, 2025. Their young daughter discovered the bodies. Sarah called 911. Five months later, she was arrested after the Carroll County Sheriff's Office announced they had "mountains of evidence" against her.

The trial was set for January 5th, 2026. It didn't happen. Judge Dustin Hightower pushed the case to August 3rd, 2026 after prosecutors said they would need time to review a defense neuropsychologist's evaluation and potentially hire their own expert to rebut it. The defense answered ready. The state wasn't.

Bob Motta examines what this delay signals about the strength of the state's case. No murder weapon has been produced. No forensic evidence linking Sarah to the killings has been publicly disclosed. No firearm was found at the scene.

We also discuss the social media narrative that's developed around this case and whether a teenager's TikTok activity should be treated as evidence of murder.

#SarahGracePatrick #BobMotta #DefenseAttorney #CarrollCounty #MurderTrial #KristinBrock #JamesBrock #TrialDelay #CriminalDefense #TrueCrime

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod
X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod

Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Our week in review examines the Brendan Banfield case — where digital forensics contradicted the prosecution's theory and two investigators were moved off the case.

On February 24, 2023, Christine Banfield — a 37-year-old pediatric ICU nurse — was stabbed to death in her Herndon, Virginia home. Found beside her was Joseph Ryan, a 39-year-old stranger shot twice by two different guns. The initial story was self-defense against an intruder. Prosecutors say that's a lie. They allege Brendan Banfield created a fake FetLife profile using his wife's photo, spent months luring Ryan to the house under the pretense of a violent sexual fantasy, then conspired with the family's au pair to stage a home invasion and murder his wife.

But the prosecution's own digital forensics expert reached a different conclusion. Officer Brendan Miller analyzed 60 devices and determined Christine — not Brendan — appeared to be running that FetLife account. His findings were peer-reviewed by the University of Alabama and confirmed. Miller was subsequently transferred out of digital forensics. The lead homicide detective who reportedly disagreed with command staff's direction was also moved.

Defense attorney John Carroll called the prosecution's case "a theory in search of facts rather than a series of facts supporting a theory." Judge Penney Azcarate ordered prosecutors to produce communications related to those transfers.

The case now hinges on Juliana Peres Magalhaes, who spent nearly a year facing murder charges before changing her story. Her plea deal: time served and deportation to Brazil in exchange for testimony against Banfield. Trial is January 2026. The jury will decide who was really behind the keyboard.

#BrendanBanfield #ChristineBanfield #JulianaPeresMagalhaes #FairfaxCounty #DigitalForensics #AuPairMurder #FetLife #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #WeekInReview

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod
X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod

Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872