Reinhart is suspected of killing his two young sons and himself on May 4, 2021, in his family's burning vacation home near Suwannee. Hes been depressed. Gainesville, FL 32611 (352) 392-5551 News from our coverage partners and WUSF. His brother Paul financed Ericks legal defense, said Regine Iliff, the mother of Alex Iliff, 33, who died in the attack. Similar efforts failed in Tallahassee last year. This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. Think about the psychological impact and the hurt it has not only for those young boys but for the surviving parents, the grandparents, the friends, the close-knit community its all out there and its out there forever, Clemons said. WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | The case is the worst tragedy of its kind in the region since 2014, when Gilchrist County residentDon Spirit killed his daughter, her six children and himself. The security system had been disabled, so there was no video of anyone arriving or leaving. ASO deputies were unable to locate either Reinhart, his vehicle, or his two sons, 14-year-old Rex and 11-year-old Brody. Minde Reinhart declined to discuss the new lawsuit through one of her attorneys, Jeff Aaron of Gray Robinson in Orlando. Grieving Mother Asks Court To Block Handout Of $75,000 To Siblings Of But detectives later found two 9mm Glock pistols in the burned home in Suwannee. (Fresh Take Florida/Florida Channel). It was so emotional.. He and his lawyers did not respond to phone messages this week. This year, the Senate version passed on April 11, Minde OSullivans birthday. raised significant questions about why authorities werent able to track Reinhart more quickly after he disappeared with his sons and why law enforcement believed he did not own a gun. The court would have to evaluate the intrusion into the familys right to privacy and consider whether there is similar information available in other public records. Now, authorities say, Reinhart is suspected of killing his sons, Brody, 11, and Rex, 14, early Tuesday at the familys waterfront home near Suwannee on Floridas west coast, 50 miles from Gainesville, before setting it on fire and killing himself. A surviving parent or spouse who was not involved in their childs death could review an autopsy report. The reporter can be reached at carissa.allen@freshtakeflorida.com. What Im asking you to do today, with this bill, is to put into the shade the gory photographs, the descriptions, the videos, etcof minors who have been murdered, he told lawmakers on the judiciary committee last month. She [Minde] couldnt have honored them in a better way, she said. Her depressed husband who separated from his wife and recently lost his high-paying executive job had bizarrely published 64 photos from their wedding 19 years ago to his Facebook page at 5 a.m. Texts to Minde around the same time which ended abruptly made clear he blamed her for their pending divorce. She found roughly 400 photographs from her wedding scattered through the house. Iliff said she had heard news reports this week about the father suspected of killing his children and himself but did not know until a reporter told her that the suspected killer was Paul, the younger brother of the man sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing her own son. Supporters and mourners donned navy blue shirts branded with . Deputies also learned that Paul Reinhart had a home in Dixie County. They urgently tracked Paul Reinharts cell phone to nearby Dixie County, about 50 miles west of Gainesville, after a neighbor near the familys vacation home told Minde Reinharts friend that her husbands van was parked outside. Update or Upgrade Your Sustaining Gift Today! Im so happy that I put my phone down all the time and didnt return texts and emails, she said. Sheriffs investigators also believed Paul Reinhart didnt have a gun, based on their review of recent firearms transactions. When firefighters arrived 19 minutes later, the local deputy was already on the scene and said the fire was too intense to go inside. Similar efforts failed in Tallahassee last year. Those in the crowd showed their solidarity in their attire. All rights reserved. The companys term beneficiary change form did not specify on the document that information was required. Hillsborough sales tax refund includes legal fees - but for whom? Paul Reinhart, 46, is suspected of killing his sons, Rex, 14, and Brody, 11, setting fire to the familys waterfront vacation home in western Florida then killing himself. Editors note: This story includes descriptions of suicide. Most media coverage then focused on the disclosure that Reinhart had shot the boys, without graphic descriptions. Your kids? Autopsy report shows Rex and Brody Reinhart were shot by father As part of their bitter family legal fights over the estate, Konrad Reinhart accused Minde OSullivan of a role in Paul Reinharts violence. Developing: Gainesville father and sons presumed dead in - WCJB Paul Reinhart: Brother killed ex-wife's boyfriend in 2014 case Below: Click through a timeline of the events of that morning. A final report covering the criminal investigation by two sheriffs offices and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in the case has been mysteriously delayed for months. Youre so selfish. With the changes, Reinhart sought to designate his sons, Rex, 14, and Brody, 11, as primary beneficiaries. The fire chief, Darian Brown, said the fire was mostly extinguished within about five minutes. Paul Reinhart is on Facebook. She is comforted by her mother, Tammy Prince, and father, Mike Prince. There was no one to save, the firefighter wrote. Paul had financed Ericks legal defense, a family member said. A Florida man suspected of killing his two sons and himself while burning down their vacation home allegedly also tried to place some kind of moral blame on his estranged wife. Paul Reinhart had also updated his will just weeks before the killings to prevent his. A family member phoned in the request after Paul posted a series of "cryptic" Facebook updates . The boys autopsies, which were released publicly, revealed that their father had shot both sons before he shot himself and set the fire even though Minde OSullivan had initially assured a 911 dispatcher that her husband did not own any guns during the frantic hours when authorities were still searching for her missing family. It wasnt like he just snapped on a whim. Authorities say the boys were killed by their father, 46-year-old Paul Reinhart, on May 4 before he set fire to their Dixie County home and killed himself. Paul Reinhart, a popular, gregarious figure across social and political circles, is suspected of killing his sons, Rex, 14, and Brody, 11, earlier this week, then starting a fire at his familys waterfront vacation home near Suwannee before killing himself, too. The case is still under investigation. The court would have to evaluate the intrusion into the familys right to privacy and consider whether there is similar information available in other public records. Eight days before the murders, Reinhart filed paperwork to change two life insurance policies to keep his wife from collecting money after his death. Under the bill, a judge who finds good cause could disclose autopsy reports in certain cases. Eerie Parallels: Man Suspected Of Killing Young Sons And Himself The thing that is so upsetting is that it was planned out weeks before, Minde OSullivan said in an interview. Meanwhile, at 6:46 a.m., Verizon reported Paul Reinhart's phone was turned on and closest to a tower near the vacation home. Teammates, opponents and baseball enthusiasts dressed in team shirts and hats. Alberto Luperon May 7th, 2021, 8:35 pm. Dixie County authorities were called after Alachua County sheriff's deputies were unable to locate the three following a well-being check at their Gainesville home at the request of Reinhart's wife, Minde Prince Reinhart. In the recording, Paul Reinhart said, Honestly wish I were dead. Minde OSullivan responded: Yes, I do. Ron DeSantis signing the law once it passes the full Legislature, as is expected on Thursday. But knowing they loved every second of life and baseball will keep their memories alive.. They permitted full payouts in the instance of suicide as long as Reinhart hadnt killed himself for at least two years after buying them. I felt something abnormal and got within inches of it and found it to be a deceased small child, he wrote. Minde Prince Reinhart woke up at 6:30 a.m., cooked breakfast and watched SportsCenter with her sons every day. She found roughly 400 photographs from her wedding scattered through the house. Father and 2 young sons dead in apparent murder-suicide in Florida I knew I wont have my own ever again, but I have hundreds of other children and Im going to continue to help.. It would cover killings even by police or sheriffs deputies and even if there were questions about whether they acted lawfully in such cases. By, See stories by Carissa Allen - Fresh Take Florida, Voting rights groups sue over state's 'inadequate' voter registration form, DeSantis signs a bill allowing the death penalty in child rape convictions, The Florida House and Senate nail down a spending plan, Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian folk legend, dies at 84, 7 bodies have been found during a search for missing Oklahoma teens, Here are all the best looks from the Met Gala 2023, The Florida Senate backs a bathroom bill as drag queens protest, Florida GOP is set to remove a hurdle to DeSantis' White House bid, The Senate has agreed to a House budget proposal that would eliminate Enterprise Florida, Florida lawmakers continue debating a bill targeting illegal immigration. When the Senate voted, she broke into tears in the Capitol as her mother, Tammy Prince, put her arm around her to comfort her. Konrad Reinharts request listed himself, a sister and three brothers as beneficiaries before also including Minde Reinhart in the court papers. We owe it to them to keep our memories in us and play for them every time we take the field.. Minde OSullivans estranged husband, Paul Otto Reinhart, 46, fatally shot the couples sons in May 2021 at the familys waterfront vacation home in western Florida then set the house on fire and killed himself. Help is readily available. Brody regularly served as the unofficial batboy for the University of Florida baseball team. It would also cover evidence of deaths of children in cases that may have been handled or mishandled by government regulators, such as Florida's Department of Children and Families. It was Brody. This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The bills would ban the public release of autopsy reports for minors killed by domestic violence and also ban release of photographs, audio or video, such as police body camera recordings or in reports by child abuse investigators, in cases when a minor is killed, no matter the circumstances. WUFT 89.1 / 90.1 Featured Thank you Gifts. She replied by text: Please dont hurt yourself or the boys. Please come home.. And she said, Yes, and then she got angry because the life insurance was changed into the boys name, and thats all she was concerned about was the money.. Pillar, the deputy in Gainesville, urged his Dixie County counterpart to call him on his cell phone. You should have put your family first, he wrote. 1:26. He said it would have prevented young friends of Rex and Brody learning graphic details online about the deaths of the boys. The legal battle, just underway in federal court, is the latest twist in the crime earlier this year. Ron DeSantis signing the law once it passes the full Legislature, as is expected on Thursday. Minde Reinharts lawyers earlier objected to a request by Konrad Reinhart that the estate be divided among Reinharts five siblings and Mrs. Reinhart. Reinhart's cause of death is classified as a suicide. Brody regularly served as the unofficial batboy for the University of Florida baseball team. Youre going to live with this the rest of your life., She replied by text: Please dont hurt yourself or the boys. Reinhart's social media posts alerted family to a potential problem, but the signs can be difficult to spot, according to one mental health expert. I dont know, I dont know, I dont know. After family murders, suicide, Florida nears, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), After family murders, suicide, Florida nears passage of bill to shield kids autopsy details, Condemned Florida killer asks U.S. Supreme Court for reprieve, Key things to know about Floridas pending abortion ruling, DeSantis oversight board votes to sue Disney, Known for laughs, White House Correspondents dinner takes a turn and spotlights risks to journalism, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | Do the right thing and help protect Minde, her family, and all the impacted children from further trauma.. Paul Otto Reinhart, 46, of Gainesville had recently lost his job as president at Reinhart Medical LLC, a medical device sales company, and was in the early stages of a divorce from his. The charity honors her sons, who were avid baseball players, to support youth and school baseball teams. Hundreds of residents, families and baseball players flocked to Florida Ballpark Monday evening to celebrate the lives of Rex Joseph Reinhart, 14, and Brody Michael Reinhart, 11.