Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

The state of California once declared Nick Reiner so mentally ill he couldn't make his own decisions. A judge signed off. A professional conservator was appointed. For one year, Nick could be forced to take psychiatric medication and placed in a locked facility against his will. Then the conservatorship ended in 2021—and it was never renewed.

Today on Hidden Killers, we investigate the legal mechanism that was supposed to protect everyone in that Brentwood home and ask the hard question: why wasn't it enough?

Under California's Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, a person can only be conserved if they're "gravely disabled"—unable to provide for their own food, clothing, or shelter. But here's the catch: if family members are providing those things, the person may no longer qualify. The more you help, the harder it becomes to get the state to intervene.

We break down the conservatorship timeline, the reported medication change one month before the murders, and what this means for Nick Reiner's defense strategy. Alan Jackson said Nick is "not guilty of murder" under California law before withdrawing from the case. The conservatorship history will be central to that argument—because it proves the state itself found Nick gravely disabled due to mental illness.

Steven Baer, the licensed fiduciary who served as Nick's conservator, will almost certainly testify. What did he observe? Why didn't he petition for renewal? And what does California owe to families trapped between loving their children and getting them the treatment they need?

The system worked exactly as designed. That's the problem.

#HiddenKillers #NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #Conservatorship #TrueCrimePodcast #MentalHealth #CaliforniaMurder #LPSAct #TrueCrimeToday

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Iris Dalley-Graff, Forensics Analyst, testified today in the Brendan Banfield murder trial. Banfield, a former IRS agent, is charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the February 2023 deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan at their Herndon, Virginia home.
Prosecutors allege Banfield plotted the killings with the family's Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, with whom he was having an affair. Magalhães has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is expected to testify against Banfield. The defense maintains digital evidence does not support the state's catfishing theory.

#BrendanBanfield #AuPairAffair #MurderTrial #TrueCrime #Testimony #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #FairfaxCounty #HiddenKillers #Breaking

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Her family says they weren't shocked when police arrested Dr. Michael McKee. They'd suspected him from the moment Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer were found murdered in their Columbus home. They just couldn't say anything — they were protecting the investigation. But here's the part that should keep everyone up at night: Monique's family knew. They'd known for years that McKee was a threat. And the system still couldn't act until she was dead. There were no restraining orders on file. No 911 calls from the Tepe address. Police labeled this a "targeted domestic violence attack," but by the time they could do anything about it, two people were gone and two children were orphaned. Former FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins Hidden Killers to examine the psychology of an eight-year grudge that allegedly ended in murder. 

Monique did everything you're supposed to do when you leave a dangerous situation. She got out after seven months. She didn't fight over assets. She moved back to Ohio, rebuilt her life, remarried, had children. She never said McKee's name after the divorce — only called him "her ex-husband." Her family says she talked about emotional abuse. About torment. That she was always worried about him. Coffindaffer explains the behavioral profile of a grievance collector who never lets go, how McKee's demand for the rings back and the interest penalty clause in the separation agreement reveal control dynamics, and why watching Monique build a new family may have been the trigger that escalated obsession into alleged violence. For anyone who recognizes these patterns in their own life, Coffindaffer shares the warning signs that someone may never move on — even years after a relationship ends.

#MoniqueTepe #MichaelMcKee #TepeMurders #HiddenKillers #DomesticViolence #JenniferCoffindaffer #GrievanceCollector #TrueCrimePodcast #ColumbusOhio #SystemFailure

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Michael David McKee knew how to vanish. When a Las Vegas attorney tried to serve him with a malpractice lawsuit, he encountered fake addresses, a fax machine instead of a phone number, and colleagues who had no idea where McKee had gone. "He just disappeared," one told the attorney in October 2025. Two months later, McKee allegedly resurfaced — driving 300 miles to Columbus, Ohio, where prosecutors say he shot and killed his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer in their home.

The marriage ended in 2017 after just seven months. But according to family, McKee never accepted it. Monique's brother-in-law says McKee was emotionally abusive and threatened her life during the marriage. Reports indicate he allegedly sent birthday cards signed "Your Husband" after the divorce. Monique remained terrified of him for eight years — even after remarrying, even after building a beautiful life with Spencer and two children.

McKee's professional life was unraveling in 2025. His Nevada medical license expired. Malpractice lawsuits were closing in. Meanwhile, Monique had just celebrated her fifth anniversary with Spencer. In her wedding vows, she spoke of "wrong relationships" and a "waterfall of tears" — a clear reference to her past with McKee.

Police tracked McKee through surveillance footage and linked a firearm from his Chicago condo to shell casings at the scene. He was arrested at a Chick-fil-A. He faces life without parole if convicted. This is a deep dive into alleged obsession, evasion, and a surgeon who reportedly couldn't let go.

#TepeMurders #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #MichaelMcKee #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimePodcast #DomesticViolence #ColumbusOhio #SurgeonMurder #ObsessiveEx

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Columbus police say they have their man. Dr. Michael McKee — a vascular surgeon who practiced in Chicago — is charged with the premeditated aggravated murder of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer. The preliminary ballistics match is in. The surveillance footage shows his vehicle at the scene. Police say he's the hooded figure in that alley at 3:52 AM. But there's a gap in this investigation that nobody has explained: there was no forced entry at the Tepe residence. No broken windows. No kicked-in doors. So how did he allegedly get inside? And why would a man trained in surgical precision keep the murder weapon in his penthouse apartment for eleven days after the killings? 

Former FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins Hidden Killers to break down the forensic evidence, the surveillance timeline, and the investigative questions that remain unanswered. We examine McKee's pattern of evasion in the months before the murders — a malpractice process server tried nine times to find him at addresses that turned out to be fake. His former colleague said he "just disappeared." Coffindaffer explains what this behavior suggests from a behavioral analysis standpoint and why McKee's pre-arrest statements — before he invoked his right to remain silent — could become critical evidence at trial. Police say they have no prior reports from the Tepe address about McKee. No 911 calls. No restraining orders. But they hedged when asked about communications between McKee and Monique in the weeks before the murders. What are investigators holding back? And what holes will the defense try to exploit?

#MoniqueTepe #MichaelMcKee #SpencerTepe #HiddenKillers #JenniferCoffindaffer #TrueCrimePodcast #DoubleHomicide #ColumbusOhio #ForensicEvidence #DomesticViolenceMurder

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Two cases that refuse simple explanations. One FBI behavioral expert who's spent his career figuring out what people are really thinking.

Retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke joins Hidden Killers for a comprehensive analysis of Nick Reiner and Brendan Banfield. Both involve killings. Both involve questions about accountability. But the behavioral evidence points in very different directions.

Nick Reiner reportedly admits to killing his parents — then describes his incarceration as a "conspiracy." Robin explains why that framing is behavioral gold for analysts. We examine decades of treatment cycling, short-term compliance that functioned as pressure release rather than real change, and post-offense behavior that continues to raise questions. The aftermath didn't involve immediate collapse. There was time, movement, decision-making. Robin explains why analysts pay attention to that window — and why serious mental illness doesn't automatically eliminate awareness.

Brendan Banfield was a federal agent who knew how investigations work. Prosecutors say he used that knowledge to orchestrate murder. But Robin asks the question nobody else is asking: does his behavior actually match someone who planned an elaborate killing? The framed photo left on the nightstand. The detailed 911 statement. The failure to destroy evidence. Robin breaks down what calculated killers actually look like — and whether Banfield fits.

The prosecution's entire case depends on Juliana Peres Magalhaes. But who was manipulating whom? Robin examines the behavioral markers that separate genuine coercion from willing participation — and what her jailhouse letter reveals about her psychology. She wrote that she was "heartbroken" for what she was doing to Brendan. Then she testified against him to go home to Brazil.

Patterns don't lie. This episode strips away narratives and focuses on behavior.

#HiddenKillers #RobinDreeke #NickReiner #BrendanBanfield #FBI #BehavioralAnalysis #TrueCrime #Manipulation #CriminalPsychology #JulianaPeresMagalhaes

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Brendan Banfield was a trained federal agent. Prosecutors say he spent months building a murder plot designed to look like a home invasion — complete with a fake profile, a groomed stranger, and a staged crime scene. His star witness lied for a year before flipping. Now a jury has to decide if she's telling the truth or saving herself.

Dr. Michael McKee was a successful vascular surgeon. According to police, he allegedly waited eight years after his divorce to drive hundreds of miles and kill his ex-wife Monique and her husband Spencer while their children slept down the hall. No threats. No criminal record. Just silence — and then violence.

Robin Dreeke ran the FBI's Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program. He's spent decades identifying dangerous personalities before they become dangerous. In this interview, he profiles both men and explains what their alleged behavior reveals about psychology, control, and the arrogance of people who think they're smarter than everyone else.

We break down Banfield's 911 call, the framed photo on the nightstand, and the four-year-old left waiting in the basement. We analyze Juliana Magalhães — the au pair who admitted pulling the trigger on Joseph Ryan and is now negotiating with Netflix. Does her credibility survive the jail letters and the media deals?

Then we dig into the concept of "wound collectors" — people who never let go of perceived injuries. Robin explains how professionals like McKee can mask resentment for years, what triggers them to finally act, and how they flip the narrative to make themselves the victim.

Both men maintain their innocence.

#HiddenKillers #RobinDreeke #FBI #BrendanBanfield #MichaelMcKee #WoundCollector #AuPairAffair #TeepeMurders #BehavioralAnalysis #TrueCrime

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Rex Heuermann's defense just made their biggest move yet. A 178-page motion filed January 12, 2026 demands the Sandra Costilla murder charge be dismissed — and points directly at another convicted killer who may have been responsible for deaths attributed to their client.

Sandra Costilla was murdered in 1993. The prosecution's entire case linking Heuermann to her death rests on a single hair found on the outer layer of her shirt. Not on her skin. Not in his vehicle. Not in his home. Defense attorney Danielle Coysh called it insufficient: no eyewitnesses, no surveillance, no digital evidence, no phone records, no fingerprints, no confession, no murder weapon.

The defense wants discovery from the John Bittrolff case. Bittrolff is already in prison for two Long Island murders — same era, same geography, same victim type. A former prosecutor previously said Bittrolff was "probably responsible" for Costilla's death. Now Heuermann's team is forcing that issue into the spotlight.

And then there's Andrew Dykes — arrested in December for murdering "Peaches," Tanya Denise Jackson, whose remains were found along Ocean Parkway with the other Gilgo victims. For years, she was assumed to be part of Heuermann's alleged body count. She wasn't.

Judge Mazzei set trial for September 2026. DA Ray Tierney has whole genome sequencing, nine hairs across six victims, and a computer planning document. But the defense is building a case that Long Island wasn't one killer's hunting ground — it was several. And reasonable doubt lives in that chaos.

#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #LongIslandSerialKiller #JohnBittrolff #SandraCostilla #TanyaDeniseJackson #Peaches #AndrewDykes #TrueCrime #SerialKillerCase

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Monique Tepe left her first husband after seven months of marriage. She didn't fight. She didn't make a scene. She just got out. She rebuilt her life, married Spencer Tepe, had two children, and thought the nightmare was behind her.

Eight years later, according to police, Dr. Michael McKee allegedly drove hundreds of miles in the middle of the night and killed both Monique and Spencer in their Columbus home. Their children were asleep down the hall.

Why would someone wait eight years to act? How does a successful vascular surgeon with no criminal record become an alleged killer?

Robin Dreeke, former FBI Special Agent and head of the FBI's Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, says McKee fits the profile of a "wound collector" — someone who never forgives, never forgets, and carries perceived injuries like open wounds for years until something triggers them to act.

In this interview, Robin explains: The difference between hurt and obsession. How wound collectors justify violence by making themselves the victim. Why professional success can mask dangerous resentment. What role social media and watching an ex's happiness plays in the spiral. What might have triggered McKee after eight years of silence. And whether there are warning signs that can be spotted before it's too late.

McKee maintains his innocence and plans to plead not guilty to two counts of premeditated aggravated murder.

This conversation won't bring Spencer and Monique back. But it might help someone recognize the danger before the next wound collector acts.

#HiddenKillers #WoundCollector #MichaelMcKee #TeepeMurders #RobinDreeke #FBIBehavioral #TrueCrimePodcast #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #PsychologyOfKillers

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Rob Reiner reportedly told friends he was "petrified" of his own son. Michele Reiner had allegedly grown increasingly worried about Nick's deteriorating mental state. They had money, connections, access to the best treatment in the world — and none of it mattered.

Because in California, families cannot force treatment on an adult who refuses it. They can't initiate conservatorships. They can't compel long-term psychiatric care. All they can do is call 911, watch their loved one get held for 72 hours, and wait for them to be released.

This episode traces how we got here. In 1967, California passed the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, ending indefinite involuntary commitment and creating strict criteria for psychiatric holds. The law was a response to real abuses — families locking away "inconvenient" relatives, horrific conditions in state hospitals, patients warehoused for decades without treatment.

But the community mental health centers that were supposed to replace the hospitals were never built. The funding was gutted. And within one year of the law taking effect, mentally ill people entering California's criminal justice system doubled.

Today, fewer than 1,500 Californians are on LPS conservatorships. A 2020 audit found that in LA County, nearly 10,000 people had been placed on at least 10 psychiatric holds — but only 1 in 16 ever resulted in long-term care. The 72-hour hold became a revolving door. And families like the Reiners were left with impossible choices: abandon your sick child to the streets, or become their untrained caregiver and hope today isn't the day it all falls apart.

We dismantled a flawed system and called the rubble progress. Rob and Michele paid the price.

#HiddenKillers #RobReiner #NickReiner #MentalHealthCrisis #LPSAct #Deinstitutionalization #5150 #CaliforniaMentalHealth #TrueCrime #ReinerCase

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