Why Nick Reiner's Conservatorship Ended: The California Law Loophole That May Have Cost Rob & Michele Their Lives
Podcast: Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & CommentaryPublished On: Tue Jan 20 2026
Description: 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 #TrueCrimeTodayJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
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