Nick Reiner Schizophrenia Treatment, New Meds Before Parents Murder "Made Him Erratic" | CRIME ALERT RECAP SATURDAY 12.20.2025

Summary

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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: Nick Reiner Schizophrenia Treatment, New Meds Before Parents Murder "Made Him Erratic" | CRIME ALERT RECAP SATURDAY 12.20.2025
Date: December 20, 2025
Host: Nancy Grace
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers a tense, fast-paced roundup of the latest high-profile crime stories making headlines. Nancy Grace’s team, led by Nicole Parton, explores the shocking double homicide of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, delves into a disturbing medical malpractice lawsuit, recaps developments in the Brown University mass shooting, and covers the arrest of a former children’s pastor for decades-old abuse. The common theme is the systemic failures—medical, legal, and institutional—behind these crimes, with thoughtful commentary on how vulnerable people are often let down by those meant to protect them.

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1. Brentwood Double Homicide: Nick Reiner, Schizophrenia, and the Tragedy of Mental Illness

Segment Start: [02:06]

• The Crime:
  • Hollywood director Rob Reiner and wife Michelle Singer Reiner were murdered in their Brentwood home. Their son Nick Reiner stands accused.
  • Nick, diagnosed with schizophrenia weeks before the murders, displayed increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior after a medication adjustment at a high-end Los Angeles psychiatric facility.
• Background & Details:
  • Nick had recent psychiatric care in a rehab facility known for serving wealthy families at $70,000/month.
  • Medication changes intended to “stabilize him” reportedly worsened his condition.
  • Substance abuse issues further complicated his already fragile mental state (“Nick was out of his head,” sources say).
  • Autopsy confirms both Rob and Michelle Reiner died from multiple sharp force injuries.
• Legal Outlook:
  • Experts foresee a likely “not guilty by reason of insanity” plea.
  • Funeral arrangements for the Reiners are pending; Nick remains in custody without bail, arraignment set for January.

Notable Quote:

“Legal experts believe this case is headed toward a not guilty by reason of insanity plea.” – Nicole Parton [03:20]

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2. Medical Negligence at Detroit Hospital: The Story of Edna Burton

Segment Start: [03:36]

• Incident:
  • Edna Burton, a 20-year hospital employee, suffers catastrophic consequences after her skull bone flap, removed during surgery, is mistakenly discarded due to a hospital mix-up.
• Family Response & Lawsuit:
  • Daughter Erica Burton recounts the horror: doctors only discovered the bone was missing months later, after confusing her mother with another patient.
  • Edna is now mostly bedbound, suffering with sores and unable to eat or speak due to a painful prosthetic replacement.
  • Hospital allegedly responded with a $25 gas card as an apology, sparking outrage and a lawsuit for malpractice and emotional distress.
• Broader Context:
  • The incident happened before a 2024 hospital administration change, with current management attempting to distance themselves from the error.

Memorable Moment:

“Adding insult to the literal injury, hospital honchos reportedly offered the family a $25 gas card as an apology, a gesture her daughter slammed as beyond insulting to say the least.” – Narrator [05:55]

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3. Brown University Mass Shooting: Claudio Neves Valente Found Dead

Segment Start: [06:20]

• Incident Recap:
  • The suspected gunman in last week’s campus shooting at Brown University, Claudio Neves Valente, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in New Hampshire following a multi-state manhunt.
  • Valente, a Portuguese national and former Brown PhD student, is also linked to the murder of an MIT professor.
• Investigation Details:
  • Surveillance, forensics, and witness accounts tracked Valente from Rhode Island to Massachusetts to New Hampshire.
  • Authorities found matching firearms and evidence in both cases, strengthening the link.
  • Valente had apparently used sophisticated means to evade detection, including using an untraceable cellphone.
• Policy Reaction:
  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the suspension of the U.S. green card lottery, as Valente entered the country via the program.
  • Public outrage centers around immigration vetting and campus security after two students were killed and six remain in critical condition.

Notable Quotes:

“Valente should never have been allowed in our country.” – Kristi Noem [10:10]
“Although the suspect has been found dead, our investigation is far from over. There are numerous questions that still need to be answered.” – Special Agent in Charge Ted Dox [08:24]

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4. Arrest of Pastor Joe Campbell: Decades-Old Abuse Finally Exposed

Segment Start: [13:15]

• Background:
  • Joe Campbell, once a prominent children's pastor, was finally arrested in Missouri on charges of first-degree rape and lewd acts involving minors from the 1970s and 80s.
  • The case is based on the accounts of multiple survivors, with abuse having occurred while Campbell was a Pentecostal preacher.
• Victim Stories and Investigations:
  • Carrie Jackson is identified as one survivor whose testimony was pivotal; others include Phaedra Creed, whose allegations were previously dismissed under pressure.
  • Medical evidence and church records confirm early complaints to leadership in the 1980s that were ignored.
  • Campbell’s pattern included using his religious authority and “divine survivor” narrative to foster trust and conceal abuse.
• Legal & Institutional Response:
  • Oklahoma’s attorney general invoked a rarely used law pausing statute of limitations in certain circumstances, paving the way for prosecution.
  • The Assemblies of God church expelled Campbell in 1989, but he continued ministering and running a youth camp where multiple alleged abusers gathered.
  • Renewed media scrutiny (including NBC’s investigative series) led to the reopening of the case this year.

Notable Quotes:

“This arrest is about justice delayed, not justice denied.” – Oklahoma Attorney General Gantner Drummond [16:14]
“Show me your churches… Don’t tell me about your bank account. Tell me about your disciple account.” – Joe Campbell, in a sermon [15:28]

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5. Other Key Information & Tone

• Reporting & Tone:
  • The episode maintains a brisk, fact-driven approach, frequently emphasizing the human cost behind headlines.
  • Emotional testimonies by victims’ families (Edna Burton, Campbell survivors) provide a poignant counterpoint to the otherwise procedural narrative.
• Systemic Patterns:
  • Recurrent theme of institutions (medical, religious, governmental) failing the vulnerable, resulting in devastating consequences.
  • Scrutiny falls on both systemic gaps (e.g., mental health care, background checks) and apathetic responses by those in power.

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6. Episode Timeline – Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:06 | Brentwood double homicide: Nick Reiner and family mental health crisis | | 03:36 | Medical malpractice in Detroit: Edna Burton and the lost skull bone | | 06:20 | Brown University mass shooting and Claudio Neves Valente’s death | | 10:04 | Government response: Green card lottery program suspended | | 13:15 | Joe Campbell arrested for decades-old child sexual abuse | | 16:14 | Survivor and legal perspectives on institutional accountability |

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7. Conclusion

This episode underscores the ripple effects of mental illness, institutional neglect, and delayed justice. By weaving together personal stories, investigative findings, and policy reactions, Nancy Grace and her correspondents highlight both the horror of high-profile crimes and the urgent need for reform.

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Transcript

[Nicole Parton]

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[Nicole Parton]

Crime Alert Hourly Update Breaking crime news now. I'm Nicole Parton with breaking details in the shocking Brentwood double homicide involving Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle Singer Reiner. According to tmz, their son, Nick Reiner, who's now charged with their murders, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia in the weeks leading up to the killings. His behavior reportedly became erratic and dangerous after a change in medication. Two Sources with direct knowledge say Nick was under psychiatric care and had recently been treated at a Los Angeles high end rehab facility specializing in mental illness and substance abuse. That facility cost about $70,000 a month and it's known for catering to wealthy families. TMZ reports that about a month before the murders, doctors adjusted Nick's medication in an effort to stabilize him, but instead his condition worsened. One source said, quote, nick was out of his head. Substance abuse reportedly compounded his schizophrenia. Legal experts believe this case is headed toward a not guilty by reason of insanity plea. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Medical examiner has released the Reiners bodies to their family. Funeral arrangements will be announced later. The autopsy confirmed both victims died from multiple sharp force injuries. Nick Reiner remains in custody without bail and is scheduled for arraignment in January.

[Erica Burton]

Troyt Hospital did not just drop the ball on a grandmother's recovery. They allegedly tossed a chunk of her skull in the trash and and tried to pay off the family with a measly $25 gas card. Edna Burton, a beloved nana and 20 year veteran employee of Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit, Michigan is now at the center of a scathing negligence lawsuit after a routine medical procedure devolved into a grotesque administrative blunder. Daughter Erica Burton spoke to News for Detroit.

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[Narrator/Reporter]

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Y' all took from us.

[Erica Burton]

The nightmare began when Burton was rushed into emergency surgery following a devastating stroke. To save her life, surgeons performed a hemicraniectomy, removing a significant section of her skull, a bone flap, to allow her brain to swell safely. Standard protocol dictated the bone be preserved and reattached once the pressure subsided. However, when doctors prepped for the follow up procedure months later, they made a stomach churning discovery the bone was gone. According to the lawsuit filed on December 16th in Wayne County Circuit Court by the Oliver Bell Group, staff allegedly confused Burton with another patient named Edna Brown and misplaced or discarded the vital anatomy. Forced to improvise, medics installed a synthetic plastic plate instead of her God given bone. The result has been catastrophic. Burton's family says the prosthetic has left her in agony, largely bedbound, with painful sores, unable to eat and stripped of her voice. Adding insult to the literal injury, hospital honchos reportedly offered the family a $25 gas card as an apology, a gesture her daughter slammed as beyond insulting to say the least. While Henry Ford Health, which took over operations in 2024, is trying to distance itself from the previous administration's botch, the Burton family is demanding justice for the loss of their matriarch's quality of life. The suit seeks unspecified damages from medical malpractice and emotional distress. Ascension says they cannot comment on pending litigation.

[Nicole Parton]

The individual suspected of last week's mass shooting at Brown University has been discovered dead in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire following a six day multi stage manhunt, according to law enforcement officials. The suspect has been identified as 48 year old Claudio Nevis Valente, a Portuguese national who attended the university in Providence, Rhode island approximately 25 years ago. Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez stated that video surveillance and tips from the public guided investigators to a car rental facility where they matched Valente's name to their person of interest. Authorities also suspect that the man was involved in a murder of a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mitt just two days after the December 13th shooting at Brown. No motive has been disclosed for either incident. Brown University President Christina Paxson confirmed that Valente was enrolled at the University from fall 2000 until spring 2001, pursuing a PhD in physics, but he did not have any current affiliation with the institution. Officials suspect the man fatally shot MIT professor Nuno Gomez, 47, in his Brookline home located roughly 50 miles from Providence. Both the victim and the suspect were reported to have studied at the same university in Portugal in the late 1990s. The connection between the two cases was established when Valente's vehicle was identified through CCTV footage and a witness account from Brown University. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Norona reported that Valente was found with a satchel and two firearms. Evidence discovered in a nearby vehicle matched that from the Providence scene and that same car was seen close to the site of the professor shooting. Preliminary investigations suggest that Valente died from a self inflicted gunshot wound, but police have not commented on how long he may have been inside that storage unit. Although the suspect has been found dead, our investigation is far from over. There are numerous questions that still need to be answered, said Special Agent in Charge Ted Dox, noting that approximately 500 agents had been deployed to aid local authorities. Leah Foley, the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, remarked that Valente was using a cell phone that obscured tracking, indicating he was skilled at evading detection.

[Federal Investigator]

Federal agents found Nieves Valente dead from a self inflicted gunshot wound. This is what we learned during this multi jurisdictional investigation. Nies Valente studied at Brown University in Providence, Rhode island on an F1 visa around 2000-2021. He eventually obtained legal permanent resident status. Previously, he attended the same academic program as the MIT Professor Nuno Loriero in Portugal between 1995 and 2000. Although Nieves Valente appeared to reside in Florida between November 26th and November 30th of this year, he rented a hotel room in Boston. On December 1, he rented a gray Nissan Sentra with Florida plates from a car rental agency in Boston. That same day, he drove to the vicinity of Brown University, where his car was observed intermittently between December 1 and December 12. On December 13, Nieves Valente entered an auditorium on Brown University's campus during a study session and began shooting at students.

[Nicole Parton]

In response to the shooting, the US has suspended its green card lottery program, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asserting that Valente quote, should never have been allowed in our country. Noem explained that Valente entered the US in 2017 through the diversity Lottery immigrant Visa program and subsequently received a green card. The program grants up to 50,000 visas each year through a random selection that countries with low immigration rates to the US And Noem has paused that program under President Donald Trump's directive to prevent further harm to Americans. She says public frustration grew over the investigation into the Brown University shooting, which occurred when a gunman opened fire in the engineering building during a study session before finals. Two students were killed and nine others were put in the hospital, six of them still listed in critical condition. The victims have been identified as 19 year old Ella Cook from Alabama and 18 year old Muhammad Yu Merzovek, a Uzbek American first year student. Police say the investigation is still ongoing.

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[Narrator/Reporter]

A once celebrated children's pastor now stands as the latest reckoning in a case survivors say took more than 40 years to reach this moment. 68 year old Joe Campbell was arrested Wednesday on child sex abuse charges after U.S. marshals took him into custody in Missouri. He is charged with first degree rape and lewd or indecent acts involving a child under 16. Oklahoma prosecutors say the case centers on abuse alleged to have occurred decades ago, when Campbell was a rising Pentecostal preacher working closely with children. Authorities say Campbell is being held in the Greene County Jail in Springfield while awaiting extradition to Oklahoma. If convicted, he faces life camp. Campbell's arrest follows months of renewed scrutiny triggered by an NBC News investigation into abuse allegations within the Assemblies of God. Five women say Campbell sexually assaulted them as children in the 1970s and 80s. Nine more people, including four men, reported that he showed them pornography, made sexual comments or touched them inappropriately while acting as a trusted youth minister. At the center of the case is Carrie Jackson, who says Campbell abused her repeatedly in Tulsa starting when she years old. Prosecutors revived the case using a Frontier era Oklahoma law that pauses the statute of limitations when a suspect leaves the state. In sermons aired nationally for years, Campbell often described himself as a man chosen by God. After surviving a violent car crash and one recorded message obtained by NBC News, he framed his survival as a divine bargain. NBC News reporters say Campbell used that testimony repeatedly to build credibility with Congregations and survivors say the same language was later used to gain access to children, foster trust and silence victims. In sermons reviewed by investigators, Campbell repeatedly emphasized authority, obedience and loyalty inside the church. One message delivered at a men's conference don't show me your building and thank God for buildings. Don't show me all your equipment and your drama and your pretty props. Show me your men. Don't tell me about your bank account. Tell me about your disciple account. Show me your churches. The allegations against Campbell are not new. According to church records and interviews reviewed by NBC News, complaints reached Assemblies of God leaders as early as 1983. One accuser by the name of Phaedra Creed reported abuse to police in Missouri in the late 1980s after living with Campbell and his family as a teenager. A medical examination confirmed she had been sexually assaulte. Campbell was arrested at the time, but the case never went to trial. After Creed withdrew her case under pressure, the Assemblies of God expelled Campbell from the denomination in 1989. Despite that, he continued working with children. He later founded a non denominational church and a youth camp in the Missouri Ozarks. The camp became a gathering place for people accused or convicted of sex crimes. Campbell also joined the PTL television Network in 2016, the one made famous by Jim and Tammy Faye. His sermons were broadcast nationwide until earlier this year. NBC News says its Pastors and Pray series prompted Oklahoma investigators to reopen the case. Attorney General Gantner Drummond called the allegations horrific and said his office would pursue accountability for survivors who said they were ignored for decades. Drummond said in a statement, quote, this arrest is about justice delayed, not justice denied. The Assemblies of God said it is grateful to those who came forward in hopes the legal process brings healing. Campbell has not responded publicly to the charges. More crime and justice news after this.

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