"The case had everything the media looks for. For five and a
half months, I attended the trial every day. The defense pushed the
theory that Nina was hiding in Russia, her disappearance part of
some larger master plan. It said charges against Hans were based on
circumstantial evidence. Nina disappeared after dropping the
children with Hans on Sept. 3, 2006. When told two days later his
estranged wife was missing, he refused to talk to the police. They
started following him but he engaged in counter-surveillance,
driving in circles, pulling over to the side of the road, exiting
and entering the freeway. Within two days of being notified Nina
was missing, he hired a well-respected criminal defense attorney,
William Du Bois. Hans withdrew large sums of money from the bank.
When the police found his car--it was missing the passenger seat
and rear assembly--they uncovered two books on murder, including
'Homicide' by David Simon. Simon wrote about the importance of not
talking to the police and how a crime is rarely solved without a
body. Without a body, you first have to prove the person is dead.
Hans would lead police to Nina's body on July 7, 2008. But that was
still five days away..."
