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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → Jury convicts Hans Reiser
Jury convicts Hans Reiser
2008-04-28, 8:25 PM #1
If you followed the case like I did, maybe you'll find the end result of the trial interesting,

guilty.

For those of you who don't know the case the basic version is this:
- American Nerd gets Russian Bride
- They have a falling out after a few years
- Now exWife visits him to drop off kids
- She goes missing
- Nerd does eccentrically wierd stuff
- His defense is that she ran back to Russia and that weird stuff is because of how he does things
- Everyone else thinks murder


personally I'm on his side because I have some understanding of some of the wierd things nerds in particular do.
Holy soap opera Batman. - FGR
DARWIN WILL PREVENT THE DOWNFALL OF OUR RACE. - Rob
Free Jin!
2008-04-28, 8:27 PM #2
And the appeals start in 3...2...1...
And when the moment is right, I'm gonna fly a kite.
2008-04-28, 8:30 PM #3
Read about this a while back... pretty nutty situation.
2008-04-28, 8:44 PM #4
On one hand the only witness was found by the court to be unreliable, Reiser's wife was having an affair with a man who murdered several other people, and most of the other evidence was circumstantial. The judge and the jury also developed strong biases against Reiser over the span of the trial to the point where nobody took anything he said seriously for the simple fact that he's an annoying person.

On the other hand, that circumstantial evidence consisted of blood. Everywhere.

If Reiser hadn't pissed off his own lawyer he probably could have gotten an appeal.
2008-04-28, 9:39 PM #5
Yeah, I remember reading a long article about this on Wired about a year ago. We'll probably never know what really happened. It does seem perfectly possible that he's just an odd man with a poor defense.
2008-04-28, 10:27 PM #6
His case was pretty weak, but I still think he did it. Just way too much stuff "just happened" to be that way. Too convenient.
2008-04-28, 11:48 PM #7
Originally posted by Cool Matty:
His case was pretty weak, but I still think he did it. Just way too much stuff "just happened" to be that way. Too convenient.

That is a good point. I'm honestly not trying to defend him, but doesn't the whole "innocent until proven guilty" thing seem to have gone out the window? There really doesn't seem to be any hard conclusive evidence. Maybe CSI has just spoiled me.
2008-04-29, 12:02 AM #8
Originally posted by Aglar:
That is a good point. I'm honestly not trying to defend him, but doesn't the whole "innocent until proven guilty" thing seem to have gone out the window? There really doesn't seem to be any hard conclusive evidence. Maybe CSI has just spoiled me.


Actually CSI viewership has spoiled quite a few trials. I read a legal blog post a while back complaining that prosecutors and police are now expected to come up with DNA and other forensic evidence even for cases where guilt can be demonstrated through conventional means.

I imagine the reverse is true: that police can now say "We shone a blacklight on his wall and it glows! Ooh! Aah!" and get a conviction that way. Jurors aren't experts (if they were they'd be testifying), but CSI has taught a lot of people to buy into fantasy.
2008-04-29, 7:16 AM #9
I figured that this would be the outcome. I didn't follow it very much, but from what I did read, he had a lot going against him. I think CM sums up my opinion.
Naked Feet are Happy Feet
:omgkroko:
2008-04-29, 8:13 AM #10
Quote:
When police eventually located Hans Reiser's Honda CRX a few miles from his home, they found the interior waterlogged, the passenger seat missing, and two books on police murder investigations inside. They also found a sleeping-bag cover stained with a 6-inch wide blotch of Nina's dried blood. Reiser later testified that the couple had sex in the sleeping bag on a camping trip prior to their 2004 separation.


That was probably the worst part of his case, he would have been better off just saying he wanted to get some weight reduction on the CRX and told them it added 10 more hp... haha, theres enough wanna-be tuners in cali for them to know thats pretty predictable... but the sleeping bag + water + books... fail.
Quote Originally Posted by FastGamerr
"hurr hairy guy said my backhair looks dumb hurr hairy guy smash"
2008-04-29, 8:22 AM #11
Originally posted by Jon`C:
Actually CSI viewership has spoiled quite a few trials. I read a legal blog post a while back complaining that prosecutors and police are now expected to come up with DNA and other forensic evidence even for cases where guilt can be demonstrated through conventional means.

I imagine the reverse is true: that police can now say "We shone a blacklight on his wall and it glows! Ooh! Aah!" and get a conviction that way. Jurors aren't experts (if they were they'd be testifying), but CSI has taught a lot of people to buy into fantasy.

Yeah, I think I read an article about that at some point. Good point on the opposite probably working, I imagine if the other side doesn't know any better to refute it they could easily get away with it.
2008-04-29, 9:56 AM #12
That reminds me of a post I read on another forum, some lady who got her car stolen made a huge deal about it when the cops found the car, nagging how she wanted fingerprints and DNA found to catch the crooks... supposedly the cop blatantly told her "Look lady, this isn't CSI..."
Quote Originally Posted by FastGamerr
"hurr hairy guy said my backhair looks dumb hurr hairy guy smash"
2008-04-29, 10:07 AM #13
Originally posted by KOP_AoEJedi:
That reminds me of a post I read on another forum, some lady who got her car stolen made a huge deal about it when the cops found the car, nagging how she wanted fingerprints and DNA found to catch the crooks... supposedly the cop blatantly told her "Look lady, this isn't CSI..."

Well, it's common for them to at least take fingerprints. DNA, I'd think not.
2008-04-29, 10:12 AM #14
Not to mention doing DNA testing takes time and money. Shows like CIS and such seem to portray analyzing DNA takes a matter of minutes and requires just a guy in a lab at the police station.
SnailIracing:n(500tpostshpereline)pants
-----------------------------@%
2008-04-29, 10:25 AM #15
Well, some might expect them to take DNA samples, but not do the actual testing unless there are suspects in the future. Q-tips and ziplocks aren't expensive, after all.

Of course, it's all moot anyway since it's just a stolen car and the cops don't care.
2008-04-29, 10:56 AM #16
Originally posted by Jon`C:
I imagine the reverse is true: that police can now say "We shone a blacklight on his wall and it glows! Ooh! Aah!" and get a conviction that way. Jurors aren't experts (if they were they'd be testifying), but CSI has taught a lot of people to buy into fantasy.


Not to my knowledge. Keep in mind that the defense will also bring expert witnesses, who will be able to refute such claims.
woot!
2008-04-29, 11:20 AM #17
Quote:
Six days after she disappeared, police found Nina's minivan in the Oakland hills about two miles from Hans Reiser's house, and the same distance from her own apartment. The car contained Nina's purse and $144 in rotting groceries that she'd purchased before dropping off the children.

When police eventually located Hans Reiser's Honda CRX a few miles from his home, they found the interior waterlogged, the passenger seat missing, and two books on police murder investigations inside. They also found a sleeping-bag cover stained with a 6-inch wide blotch of Nina's dried blood. Reiser later testified that the couple had sex in the sleeping bag on a camping trip prior to their 2004 separation.


he's guilty
"Nulla tenaci invia est via"
2008-04-29, 11:42 AM #18
Hmm. Sleeping bag sex.
SnailIracing:n(500tpostshpereline)pants
-----------------------------@%
2008-04-29, 12:08 PM #19
Originally posted by genk:
personally I'm on his side because I have some understanding of some of the wierd things nerds in particular do.


I dunno Genk...I'm a nerd and I never had the urge to remove a seat from my car, hose the insides (lol?), and read police investigation books at the same time.
Was cheated out of lions by happydud
Was cheated out of marriage by sugarless
2008-04-29, 12:19 PM #20
I'm kind of nerdy.

And I get the urge to murder people, like all the time.
2008-04-29, 12:51 PM #21
Good thing you have GTA4 to let all that angst out.
Was cheated out of lions by happydud
Was cheated out of marriage by sugarless

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