Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis breaks down two of the most chaotic murder cases in the country right now — and explains why both are falling apart before they even reach trial.

Nick Reiner's high-profile defense attorney Alan Jackson just walked off the case after three weeks, citing circumstances "beyond Nick's control." But before he left, he made a stunning statement to reporters: "Pursuant to the laws of California, Nick Reiner is NOT guilty of murder. Print that." Sources say the issue was money. Now public defender Kimberly Greene has inherited a capital murder case with virtually no preparation time. Eric explains what happens to all of Jackson's investigative work, why the insanity defense is one of the hardest to win in America, and whether Nick Reiner has any realistic path to avoiding conviction under California's M'Naghten standard.

Then we turn to Kentucky, where former sheriff Mickey Stines is accused of murdering a judge in his own chambers — on video. The defense is building an insanity case, but now they've discovered footage of the presiding judge, Christopher Cohron, sitting next to the murder victim at a mental health conference just seven days before the killing. Cohron never disclosed it. He's also blocked the defense from accessing a sealed psychiatric evaluation. Eric breaks down the recusal motion, the venue fight, and whether this case can even be tried fairly in Kentucky.

Two defendants. Two insanity defenses. Two judges under fire. Eric Faddis walks us through what's really happening behind the courtroom doors.

#NickReiner #MickeyStines #AlanJackson #InsanityDefense #TrueCrime #MurderCase #EricFaddis #CaliforniaLaw #KentuckyLaw #JudgeRecusal

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Hidden Killers Podcast concludes its interview series with former FBI special agent Robin Dreeke by examining the hardest question in the Charity Beallis case: What do investigators do when both parties have documented histories of alleged violence?

This isn't a simple case. The documented record shows allegations against both adults — not just one.

Randall Beallis pled guilty to third-degree battery. Charity publicly claimed she feared for her life and the lives of her children. But Charity also had a 2013 arrest for allegedly pointing a firearm at a man. Her own father took her to court claiming she was dangerous to her child. And according to a 2021 police report, that father allegedly told investigators Charity confessed to shooting Shawna Beallis in 2012.

He later contradicted that statement publicly, saying he never claimed Charity was involved — only that "she knew who did it."

Robin Dreeke has spent over three decades handling complex investigations. In this conversation, he explores how law enforcement approaches cases where there's documented violence on multiple sides, where witness statements conflict, and where media narratives may not align with investigative reality.

Was this a murder? A murder-suicide? Something else entirely? The investigation hasn't concluded. We don't presume to know. What we do know is that two children are dead, and they bear no responsibility for any of the adult behavior that surrounded them.

Content on this site is based on publicly available information and reflects commentary and opinion. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Nothing published here constitutes legal, medical, or professional advice.

#HiddenKillersPodcast #CharityBeallis #RobinDreeke #FBI #TrueCrime #RandallBeallis #ElianaAndMaverick #BonanzaArkansas #ComplexCases #TrueCrimeAnalysis

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The Mickey Stines case just got a whole lot more complicated — and we brought in defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis to make sense of it.

The defense has filed a motion to recuse Special Judge Christopher Cohron after discovering video footage showing him seated next to Judge Kevin Mullins at a Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health meeting, seven days before Mullins was shot to death in his Letcher County chambers. According to the motion, Cohron sat inches from the victim for roughly two hours. Mullins' widow was in the room. Cohron allegedly never disclosed any of this to the parties.

Eric breaks down what the legal standard for recusal actually requires under Kentucky law — and whether this video clears the bar. We get into Cohron's rulings blocking the psychiatric evaluation from being unsealed or used at the bond hearing, and whether a reasonable observer could connect those decisions to what's in the footage.

We also cover the escalation path if Cohron refuses to step aside, the pending venue fight between prosecution and defense, and the death penalty question that's been hanging over this case for fifteen months with no answer.

This is the expert breakdown you need to understand what's really at stake — and what's likely to happen next. Eric Faddis has argued cases on both sides, and he pulls no punches.

#MickeyStines #HiddenKillers #EricFaddis #JudgeCohron #KevinMullins #RecusalMotion #KentuckyCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #InsanityDefense #CourthouseMurder

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Alan Jackson spent three weeks investigating the Nick Reiner case. Every waking hour, he said. Ten subpoenas issued and sealed. And then he quit — but not before telling reporters that Nick Reiner is "NOT guilty of murder under California law."

That's not how attorneys typically leave cases. That's a roadmap. And now someone else has to follow it.

This episode breaks down what Jackson's statement actually means and why the path forward is anything but simple. We examine the three distinct legal battles ahead: competency to stand trial, the guilt phase, and the sanity trial where Jackson's words would have applied. California uses the M'Naghten Rule — a purely cognitive standard that requires the defense to prove Nick couldn't understand his actions or distinguish right from wrong at the exact moment of the crime.

We also look at who's taking over. Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene had thirty seconds with Nick before becoming his attorney. But the LA County Public Defender's Office has a track record that defies the stereotype — between 2006 and 2015, only one of their clients was sentenced to death out of thirty capital appeals. The office is led by Ricardo Garcia, who secured a life verdict in San Diego's longest death penalty trial.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: even if the insanity defense succeeds, Nick goes to a state psychiatric hospital — potentially forever. Facilities where the DOJ found civil rights violations and patient-on-patient murders. The insanity defense isn't freedom. It's a different kind of cage.

His parents spent seventeen years trying to save him. Now the state of California will make a permanent decision about his life.

#NickReiner #RobReiner #AlanJackson #InsanityDefense #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #CaliforniaLaw #MurderTrial #MentalHealth #ReinerMurders

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Alan Jackson's final words as Nick Reiner's attorney weren't a goodbye — they were a legal prediction: "Nick Reiner is NOT guilty of murder under California law."

He's signaling an insanity defense. And that defense just became someone else's problem.

Nick Reiner was allegedly being treated for schizophrenia at the time he killed his parents, director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. Sources tell NBC4 about the schizophrenia diagnosis. TMZ reports schizoaffective disorder. Multiple outlets confirm his medication was changed weeks before the killings, leading to behavior described as "erratic and dangerous."

But here's what people misunderstand: having a serious mental illness isn't the same as being legally insane. California uses the M'Naghten Rule — one of the strictest standards in the country. The defense must prove that at the exact moment of the crime, Nick either couldn't understand what he was doing or couldn't distinguish right from wrong.

Less than one percent of defendants plead insanity. Only about a quarter of those succeed.

Attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis joins us to break down how this defense actually works — and whether Nick Reiner has a realistic shot. We examine the difference between competency to stand trial and legal insanity, how medication changes factor into the defense, and what prosecutors will use to undermine claims of psychosis.

We also discuss what happens if the defense succeeds. Nick wouldn't walk free — he'd be committed to a California state hospital, potentially for life.

The insanity defense is one of the hardest strategies in criminal law. Does Nick Reiner's case meet the standard? Eric Faddis gives us the legal reality.

#NickReiner #RobReiner #InsanityDefense #Schizophrenia #CaliforniaLaw #MurderTrial #TrueCrime #MNaghtenRule #HiddenKillers #MentalHealthDefense

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The prosecution's case took a devastating hit Thursday. Judge Sid Harle struck Stephanie Hale's entire testimony from the record in the Adrian Gonzales trial. The jury has been instructed to disregard everything the former Robb Elementary teacher said — including her account of seeing the gunman on the south side of campus and her testimony about children arming themselves with safety scissors.

Hale returned to the stand Thursday for cross-examination. Defense attorney Jason Goss exposed inconsistencies between her courtroom testimony and what she told a Texas Ranger four days after the massacre. Hale admitted it was "kind of implied" she saw the shooter based on dust clouds — not the specific sighting she described Tuesday.

"There's no doubt that this was crucial to the defense strategy," Judge Harle said before striking the testimony.

Three days into the only criminal trial from the Uvalde massacre, the prosecution has been called "negligent," lost a key witness, and watched their own DA testify about failures in witness prep. Gonzales faces 29 counts of child endangerment. Trial continues Friday.

#HiddenKillers #AdrianGonzales #UvaldeTrial #RobbElementary #TrueCrime #Uvalde #Justice #SchoolShooting #Breaking #Testimony

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Alan Jackson walked into court as Nick Reiner's defense attorney. He walked out as his former attorney — telling reporters he had "no choice" but to withdraw due to circumstances "beyond Nick's control." Then he made a stunning declaration: "Pursuant to the laws of California, Nick Reiner is NOT guilty of murder. Print that."

Three weeks. That's how long Jackson's team investigated the case — working "every waking hour," issuing ten subpoenas that are now sealed by the court. Sources tell Deadline that money is the likely reason for the withdrawal. But if that's true, why wasn't it resolved before he took the case?

Now Nick Reiner is represented by public defender Kimberly Greene, who had approximately thirty seconds to meet her new client before the hearing. She told reporters she'd had no contact with the Reiner family and didn't believe they even knew Jackson was withdrawing.

In this episode, attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis breaks down what Jackson's withdrawal really means — what happens to his investigation, whether the public defender gains access to his files, and why his parting statement sounded more like a closing argument than a goodbye.

We also examine Greene's new role. The LA County Public Defender's Office has a remarkable track record in capital cases — between 2006 and 2015, only one of their clients was sentenced to death out of thirty capital appeals. Does Nick Reiner actually lose anything with this switch?

The arraignment is now February 23rd. No plea has been entered. The defense is in chaos. And Alan Jackson is already making the case for insanity from the courthouse steps.

#NickReiner #RobReiner #AlanJackson #ReinerMurders #TrueCrime #MurderCase #InsanityDefense #LosAngeles #HiddenKillers #CriminalDefense

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Nick Reiner is charged with murdering his parents Rob and Michele Reiner. But this tragedy didn’t begin on December 14th. For seventeen years, a family that loved their son desperately tried everything to save him — and a system failed them at every turn.

Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joins Hidden Killers for an in-depth examination of the Nick Reiner case. This is not a story about bad parenting. This is a story about a family that did everything they could and a mental health system that offered no real answers.

Rob and Michele Reiner paid for eighteen treatment programs. They kept Nick close. They never gave up on him. Rob himself said they listened to professionals with diplomas on the wall when they should have been listening to their son. That’s not a failure of love — that’s a failure of a system that was supposed to help.

Shavaun breaks down what families face when someone they love is suffering from severe mental illness. The impossible choices. The heartbreak. The desperation that drives parents to try anything. She explains what schizophrenia actually does to the brain, why it so often gets missed when addiction is present, and what happens when medication transitions go wrong. Sources say Nick became “erratic and dangerous” after a medication change weeks before the killings. Shavaun helps us understand what the family was really dealing with.

We also examine why intervention is so hard. Sources say conservatorship proceedings were underway when Rob and Michele died. Shavaun explains the legal barriers families face, why protecting yourself from someone you love is nearly impossible under current law, and what needs to change so other families don’t end up in the same nightmare.

This case has resonated with millions of people because it’s not unique. Families across this country are dealing with this every single day. If anything good can come from this tragedy, maybe it’s that we finally have the conversation we’ve been avoiding.

#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #ShavaunScott #HiddenKillers #Schizophrenia #TrueCrime #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #FamilyTragedy

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Hidden Killers Podcast continues its coverage of the Charity Beallis case with former FBI special agent Robin Dreeke, who analyzes what law enforcement's documented actions tell us about this investigation.

It's been over a month. Three people dead from gunshot wounds. No arrest. No named suspect. No official cause of death. But the Sebastian County Sheriff's Office has executed twelve search warrants, brought in federal agencies including the Secret Service and Homeland Security, and processed what they call a "voluminous" number of tips. They've also made a statement worth examining: there's no ongoing threat to the public.

Robin Dreeke knows what that language often signals. He spent 32 years in federal law enforcement.

Then there's the dumpster discovery. Three days after the deaths, someone reportedly found a trash bag containing family photos, children's artwork, and a necklace with the twins' names on it. The location was reportedly tied to an address associated with Randall Beallis. When Charity's son John reportedly raised this with a detective, the response was: "How did you find out?"

What does that exchange suggest? What does the federal involvement indicate? What might the autopsy delay mean?

Robin Dreeke breaks down investigative behavior — because sometimes what investigators do tells you more than what they say. This analysis does not presume any individual's guilt or innocence.

Content on this site is based on publicly available information and reflects commentary and opinion. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Nothing published here constitutes legal, medical, or professional advice.

#HiddenKillersPodcast #CharityBeallis #RobinDreeke #FBIExpert #TrueCrime #RandallBeallis #BonanzaArkansas #ElianaAndMaverick #CrimeInvestigation #TrueCrimeAnalysis

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Three weeks ago, Nick Reiner had the best criminal defense money could buy. Alan Jackson — the attorney who got Karen Read acquitted, who represented Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey — was building what looked like an insanity defense backed by a two-hundred-million-dollar estate.

Today, Jackson told a Los Angeles judge he had "no choice" but to withdraw. Nick Reiner now has a public defender named Kimberly Greene. She was informed last night. She had thirty seconds to speak with her new client before the hearing.

Sources tell Deadline that money is the likely reason. The deep pockets apparently dried up.

This is significant. For seventeen years, Rob and Michele Reiner's money was the solution to every crisis Nick created. Eighteen rehab programs. Seventy thousand a month in treatment facilities. A guest house on the family estate. And when he was arrested for allegedly stabbing them to death, sources said the estate was funding his elite defense.

That pattern appears to have finally broken.

Jackson held a press conference outside the courthouse. He said Nick is "not guilty of murder" under California law. He said his team had investigated the case "top to bottom, back to front." He said he remains "deeply committed" to Nick's best interests. But he's not the one arguing the case anymore.

DA Nathan Hochman responded: "We are fully confident that a jury will convict Nick Reiner beyond a reasonable doubt of the brutal murders of his parents."

Nick's arraignment is now February 23rd. No plea entered. No bail. And for the first time in his life, he's facing consequences without someone writing a check to soften the blow.

#NickReiner #RobReiner #AlanJackson #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #PublicDefender #MicheleReiner #ReinerCase #MurderCharges #Accountability

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