Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Nick Reiner, 32 pleads not guilty to the December 2025 murders of his parents, director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. His preliminary hearing has been postponed to Sept. 15, 2026, as the defense is still waiting for evidence. There is roughly 2 terabytes of discovery and autopsy results. Reiner is now represented by a public defender after his previous high-profile attorney Alan Jackson withdrew.
Reports suggest Reiner is in a high-observation mental health unit in jail. Reiner has faced severe, long-term mental health challenges, including diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, and was under a mental health conservatorship between 2020 and 2021.
The murderders happened after Michele and Rob Reiner leave Conan’s party without their son after his off-putting behavior, like wearing a hoodie to a formal event and interrupting Bill Hader’s private conversation, leads to an embarrassing public row.
Reiner, however, doesn’t make his own way to Brentwood. Instead, he pops up in Santa Monica at 4 a.m. Sunday morning, checking into The Pierside hotel. Desk staff don’t notice anything off about Reiner’s appearance, but the next morning, housekeepers find sheets covering the windows, and blood all over Reiner’s bedding and shower.
The Reiners’ troubles with their middle child have been bubbling to a head for months. Every photo of the family from the September premiere of Rob’s latest film, "Spinal Tap: The End Continues," picture the 32-year-old sporting a deep scowl.
By November, Nick Reiner moves back into his parents’ guest house, which he’s trashed on multiple occasions, leading up to a blowout fight the day after Thanksgiving that left Michele “at her wits’ end.”

Joining Nancy Grace:
Philip Dubé - Court-Appointed Counsel, Los Angeles County Public Defenders: Criminal & Constitutional Law; Forensics & Mental Health Advocacy; X: PhilipCDube, IG: PhilipDube, YouTube: PhilipDube3922
Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker," and featured in hit show "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLivee
Scott Eicher - A founding member of the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (C.A.S.T); Historical Cellular Analysis Expert; Former FBI agent of 22 years; Former Police Officer and Homicide Detective with Norfolk Virginia Police Dept. having served 12 years; Currently with Precision Cellular Analysis handling Criminal, Defense and Civil Cases
Rob Shuter - Host: Naughty But Nice Podcast, Author of Newly-released Novel “It Started With A Whisper;" Former Publicist of Sean Combs; IG: @naughtygossip
Dr. Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Host of Podcast, "Mayhem in the Morgue," and Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University)
Kayla Brantley - Reporter-At-Large for DailyMail.com and Host of DailyMail’s Podcast: 'The Trial of Diddy;' X: @_KaylaBrantley, Instagram: @KaylaBrantley
Sydney Sumner - Investigative Reporter, ‘Crime Stories’
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In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns examines how forensic pathology, DNA evidence, and meticulous evidence preservation can revive years-long cold cases, specifically focusing on the 1990 Lover’s Lane murder and the 1993 Brown’s Chicken massacre. Dr. Crowns details the physiological realities of neck trauma and the four stages of hemorrhagic shock, and explains how tools like the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) allow investigators to match decades old DNA to identify potential suspects. The episode closes with Dr. Crowns sharing lessons learned from testifying in court and the importance of using precise language.

Highlights
(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(0:15) The Lover’s Lane murders, cold case questions, and Dr. Crowns’ follow-up to a recent Crime Stories with Nancy Grace discussion
(1:15) Cheryl Henry and Andy Atkinson are reported missing before searchers discover their bodies in the woods
(2:15) What incised wounds reveal about sharp force trauma to the neck
(3:00) Why injuries to the carotid arteries and jugular veins can lead to hemorrhagic shock and rapid death
(9:00) What Henry and Atkinson likely endured before losing consciousness
(10:15) A 2026 tip, CODIS, and the DNA match that may move the Lover’s Lane case toward trial
(12:00) How DNA and trace evidence are collected during autopsy and preserved for future testing
(14:45) The Brown’s Chicken massacre and how discarded food evidence led to preserved DNA samples
(21:30) Breakthrough in the case and the identification of the suspects
(22:45) Why substitute medical examiners sometimes testify in older cases and the importance of using precise language in court
(29:30) Smith v. Arizona, the confrontation clause, and legal changes affecting substitute testimony
(31:15) Closing thoughts on how modern forensic science continues to solve cold cases

About the Host:
Dr. Kendall Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has led death investigations in Travis County, Fort Worth, Chicago, andKansas. Over his career, he has performed thousands of autopsies and testified in court hundreds of times as an expert witness. A frequent contributor to Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Dr. Crowns brings sharp medical insight and dark humor to the often misunderstood realities of forensic pathology.

About the Show
Mayhem in the Morgue takes listeners inside the bloody, bizarre, and often unbelievable world of forensic pathology. Hosted by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns, each episode delivers real-life cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom. Expect gallows humor, hard truths, and unforgettable investigations.

Connect and Learn More
Learn more about Dr. Kendall Crowns on Linkedin. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and follow Mayhem in the Morgue where you get your podcasts.
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Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert
Here's Sydney Silvagni with some of our top stories this week.
Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”
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Shots ran out as Charlie Kirk sat on stage at a Utah Valley University event. The conservative activist reportedly hit near his neck and killed. According to reports, the shot was fired from the roof of a campus building about 200 yards away. Social Video posts show Kirk in a familiar pose, speaking into a handheld microphone, sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.” The single shot booms and Kirk reaches up with his right hand. Blood gush from underneath.
Now the accused shooter, Tyler Robinson’s defense team has called for the entire Utah County prosecutor’s office to be recused. The defense’s claims a potential conflict of interest as a lead prosecutor’s child was at the event where Kirk was assassinated. That, according to the defense, tainted the office’s decisions. A judge has ruled the teen's attendance “did not materially influence” prosecutors’ actions.
Joining Nancy Grace today:
Franz Borghardt - Criminal Defense Attorney, Founder of Borghardt Law Firm, Former Prosecutor, and Adjust Professor at Louisiana State University Teaching Criminal Litigation; Instagram and Facebook: BorghardtLawFirm
Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker: When to work on a relationship and when to walk away,” and featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLive
Koa Lorimor - Former Army Sniper
Chris McDonough - Director at the Cold Case Foundation, Former Homicide Detective (worked over 300 homicides in 25-year career), Trained the First Native American Homicide Task Force; Host of YouTube Channel, "The Interview Room"
Joseph Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author of "Blood Beneath My Feet," and Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan;" X @JoScottForensic
Victoria Churchill - U.S. Political Reporter for DailyMail.com; Instagram & Facebook: VictoriaSnitsarChurchill,
Dan Murphy - Former NYPD Detective-Sergeant, Co-Host of "Gold Shields" Podcast, Author: “Workplace Safety: Establishing an Effective Violence Prevention Program"
Sydney Sumner - 'Crime Stories'  Investigative Reporter
Dave Mack -'Crime Stories'  Investigative Reporter
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh Duggar hires a new attorney as he tries for a fourth bid at freedom. Attorney Beau B. Brindley is arguing Duggar’s original trial was unfair. At an appeal hearing last month, Duggar appeared virtually, regarding an appeal that prosecutors argue was filed after the deadline. The court is deciding whether this appeal can proceed. The current motion alleges prosecutorial misconduct, misleading forensic evidence, and claims that evidence was withheld. His previous attempts to vacate the conviction, including appeals to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, have been denied.
The former reality television star was arrested by federal agents on child pornography charges, “knowingly received child pornography.”
He also “knowingly possessed child pornography” during the same months by using the Internet to “download child sexual abuse material.” Duggar entered a rehabilitation center in 2015 after he confessed to inappropriately touching his younger sisters when he was a teenager.
Duggar was also accused of creating a private, paid Ashley Madison account, a social site made for people wanting to cheat on their significant other. Attorneys for Duggar claim he was not responsible for the data on his computer, that he was hacked.

Joining Nancy Grace Today:
Sara G. West, M.D., Forensic Psychiatrist, Specializing in Sexually Deviant Behavior, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, forensicpsychiatryMD.com
Glenn Bard - Retired Pennsylvania State Trooper First Class, Computer Crime Investigations, U.S. Veteran of Operation Desert Storm, PATCtech Digital Forensics patc tech dot com
Jackie Howard - Crime Stories investigative reporter.

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