New details of the horrific crime and the minute-by-minute race to try to find and save the boys are emerging in official reports from four law enforcement and fire rescue agencies across two Florida counties. Alex Iliff, 33, died in the attack. Support WUSF now by giving monthly, or make a one-time donation online. The policies were worth $2 million each and purchased in 2005 and 2015. Reinharts body was found collapsed nearby. Florida dad killed sons, self, set vacation home on fire, officials say A local television station went further, detailing in a brief news article published on its website how many times and where on their bodies each boy was shot. Minde OSullivans charity, which raised $82,222 last year, pays for baseball facility improvements and sponsors local teams to compete in national tournaments. A community service was held at the University of Florida baseball stadium. The ban would cover accidents, such as car or boat crashes or cases when a child falls off an amusement park ride. Im so happy that I put my phone down all the time and didnt return texts and emails, she said. This year, the Senate version passed on April 11, Minde OSullivans birthday. Minde OSullivan pleaded with lawmakers to draft a bill so no surviving parent has to undergo the same hurt ever again, Clemons said. 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. Reinhart's cause of death is classified as a suicide. Most media coverage then focused on the disclosure that Reinhart had shot the boys, without graphic descriptions. Most media coverage then focused on the disclosure that Reinhart had shot the boys, without graphic descriptions. Minde Reinhart declined to discuss the new lawsuit through one of her attorneys, Jeff Aaron of Gray Robinson in Orlando. 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. Rex had been a promising pitcher and hitter for the Tampa-based Florida Heat, while Brody was an active baseball player as well. The case had wide reach in Gainesville because of the boys love of baseball both were promising youth players and University of Florida sports. 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. Gainesville's Paul Reinhart texted his wife Minde Reinhart at 5:39 a.m.; by 7 a.m., Reinhart's home was on fire and he and his sons were dead inside. All rights reserved. As part of their bitter family legal fights over the estate, Konrad Reinhart accused Minde OSullivan of a role in Paul Reinharts violence. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. They found an unspecified accelerant, perhaps gasoline. You should have put your family first, he wrote. killed his daughter, her six children and himself. WUFT 89.1 / 90.1 Featured Thank you Gifts. 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. Bruins' record-breaking season ended by Florida in first round of NHL Paul Reinhart Obituary - The Arts of Entertainment | Facebook Sheriffs investigators also believed Paul Reinhart didnt have a gun, based on their review of recent firearms transactions. But detectives later found two 9mm Glock pistols in the burned home in Suwannee. Meanwhile, she is trying to collect $10 million from her husbands estate. No foreign substances were detected in their bloodstreams. A cigarette lighter was the source of the blaze, the report said. The boys freely stumbled into former Gators football coach Will Muschamps home in his three years as their neighbor. You're so selfish. The proposed law would have kept details secret. She found roughly 400 photographs from her wedding scattered through the house. The Point, May 10, 2021: Details Emerge on Gainesville Family's Murder Erick Von Reinhart, 49, pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing his ex-wifes new boyfriend just one week after their divorce then trying to take his own life with a large kitchen knife. Clemons said he looks forward to Gov. But as is often the case with mental. That sounds so much like Erick, Iliff said, her voice trembling. Carissa Allen. By then, Mrs. Reinhart was already at the familys luxury home in a gated community. A measure of the carboxyhemoglobin in his blood put its concentration at 55%, generally enough to render an adult unconscious. Minde OSullivan, 44, of Gainesville, said her new marriage to the University of Florida baseball coach Kevin OSullivan, and a nonprofit foundation she created in honor of her boys, Rex Reinhart, 14, and Brody Reinhart, 11, have given her a new purpose in life. Facebook. The thing that is so upsetting is that it was planned out weeks before, Minde OSullivan said in an interview. It was unclear whether Reinhart received Fidelitys letter mailed from the companys life insurance offices in Atlanta before he fatally shot his sons and himself four days later. He said it would have prevented young friends of Rex and Brody from learning graphic details online about the deaths of the boys. Now its too late. Get the latest coverage of the 2023 Florida legislative session in Tallahassee from our coverage partners and WUSF. Meanwhile, her sons legacy may be legislation The Rex and Brody Act that is so far sailing through the state Legislature. 2023 www.gainesville.com. A neighbor called at 7:14 a.m. to report the home was on fire. After family murders, suicide, Florida nears passage of bill to shield Sheriffs investigators also believed Paul Reinhart didnt have a gun, based on their review of recent firearms transactions. He named his brother, in place of his wife, the beneficiary of a retirement account worth more than $600,000. Minde OSullivans charity, which raised $82,222 last year, pays for baseball facility improvements and sponsors local teams to compete in national tournaments. His cause of death was listed as the gunshot wound. Grethel is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org. 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. Minde OSullivan pleaded with lawmakers to draft a bill so no surviving parent has to undergo the same hurt ever again, Clemons said. Minde OSullivan pleaded with lawmakers to draft a bill so no surviving parent has to undergo the same hurt ever again, Clemons said. But the sense of community overwhelmed the ballpark. After family murders, suicide, Florida nears passage of bill to shield The ban would cover accidents, such as car or boat crashes or cases when a child falls off an amusement park ride. Join Facebook to connect with Paul Reinhart and others you may know. Florida sheriff's office and fire reports are shedding new light on the deaths of Paul Reinhart, 46, and his two sons, Brody, 11, and Rex, 14, who were found inside the family's burning vacation . Minde OSullivan said the charity gives her a purpose, staying involved with youth baseball. It stressed that it was not attempting to keep the $4 million. No one was at the Gainesville 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.. This was just the biggest birthday gift that I could ever imagine, Minde OSullivan said. See who you know in common. . 'Now It's Too Late' Paul Reinhart of Gainesville, FL Texted Ex-Wife Rex was an eighth-grader at Kanapaha Middle School and pitcher for the Florida Heat team, based in Tampa. Get introduced. We owe it to them to keep our memories in us and play for them every time we take the field.. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. The sides settled their probate fight in July, according to court records. 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. Details emerge in tragedy: Paul Reinhart texted 'You're going to live with this the rest of your life' to his wife. The proposed law would have kept details secret. 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. Her husband wasnt answering, she said, and he had changed his computers password so she wasnt able to track his phone online. After Reinhart family murders, new bill nears passage to shield kids' autopsy reports. Paul Reinhart of Gainesville fatally shot his two sons and then shot himself, according to autopsies released Tuesday by the District Eight Medical Examiner's Office. 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. But knowing they loved every second of life and baseball will keep their memories alive.. It was so emotional.. (Fresh Take Florida). Reinhart disappeared with the boys the morning of May 4 after publishing 64 photos from his wedding to his Facebook page at 5 a.m., then texting Mrs. Reinhart a message about their marriage. She was on 911 with a dispatcher when she responded: Please don't hurt yourself or the boys. Will DeSantis have to resign to run for president? The reporter can be reached at carissa.allen@freshtakeflorida.com. Paul Reinhart - President - Reinhart Medical | LinkedIn Paul Rinehart murder-suicide case shows trouble identifying suffering Their beds appeared slept in, candy by their bedsides. The sides settled their probate fight in July, according to court records. She vividly remembers boys love for the game. That provision which was not in the version of the bill that failed last year was added last month by the House Judiciary Committee, saying it worried that release of recordings of killings may encourage others. Minde O'Sullivan's estranged husband, Paul Otto Reinhart, 46, fatally shot the couple's sons in May 2021 at the family's waterfront vacation home then set the house on fire and killed himself. Paul Reinhart, 46, had disappeared into the night with the couple's two young sons." . Court records in the new lawsuit revealed that Reinhart a former medical device sales executive attempted to change two, term-life insurance policies on April 26 to prevent his wife, Minde Reinhart, 42, from collecting any of the money upon his death. All rights reserved. Ron DeSantis signing the law once it passes the full Legislature, as is expected on Thursday. He always answers the phone, and hes not, she said, her voice breaking. When parents kill: Florida considers keeping details of some child He was still walking around with a smile on his face while he was planning all of this.. Earlier reporting 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 reports made available Tuesday describe the fatal injuries of the brothers, Rex, 14, and Brody, 11, and their father. Its next major fundraiser is Sept. 23 at UFs football stadium. Its new lawsuit named both Mrs. Reinhart and Konrad Reinhart as defendants. Under the bill, a judge who finds good cause could disclose autopsy reports in certain cases. Paul told me that she told him to go kill yourself multiple times, and Paul said, Are you serious? Konrad Reinhart said in a deposition. The changes by Reinhart named his sons as primary beneficiaries and one of his brothers, Konrad Reinhart of Gainesville, a secondary beneficiary if the boys died. He named his brother, in place of his wife, the beneficiary of a retirement account worth more than $600,000. Minde O'Sullivan, 44, of Gainesville said her new marriage to the University of Florida baseball coach, Kevin OSullivan, and a non-profit foundation she created in honor of her boys, Rex Reinhart, 14, and Brody Reinhart, 11, have given her a new purpose in life. A surviving parent or spouse who was not involved in their childs death could review an autopsy report. Erick Reinhart is serving a 40-year murder sentence in a Florida prison and could be released as early as July 2053. 0:46 Paul Reinhart appeared to have a life others would envy a big house in Gainesville and a retreat on the Suwannee River, a boat, athletic sons. What Im asking you to do today, with this bill, is to put into the shade the gory photographs, the descriptions, the videos, etc. of minors who have been murdered, he told lawmakers on the judiciary committee last month. But a few things about him stood out to Florida Heat coach and former MLB player Gary Sheffield: Rexs signature white vans, his bright eyes and flowy, curly hair. I dont know, I dont know, I dont know. When the Senate voted, she broke into tears in the Capitol as her mother, Tammy Prince, put her arm around her to comfort her. Gainesville, Florida Area. Developing: Gainesville father and sons presumed dead in - WCJB Company sues mom of slain Florida boys over husband's life insurance At the time, the couple was separated and intended to divorce. Its not just one thing and thats what makes it really, really challenging. She replied by text: Please dont hurt yourself or the boys. Ron DeSantis signing the law once it passes the full Legislature, as is expected on Thursday. 49, as seen in this undated prison photograph from the Florida Department of . Jonathan Tully is a producer for the USA TODAY Network and can be found on Twitter at @jtullypbp. By, See stories by Thomas J. Weber - Fresh Take Florida, Voting rights groups sue over state's 'inadequate' voter registration form, Florida professor who was allegedly fired over a racial justice unit files a civil rights complaint, DeSantis signs a bill allowing the death penalty in child rape convictions, 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. She hadn't heard. When Minde Reinhart arrived at her former home in Gainesville, it was empty of people and the familys dog. The security system had been disabled, so there was no video of anyone arriving or leaving. Two Florida boys killed by their father in apparent murder-suicide, authorities say, Charitable fund created in memory of Reinhart boys believed killed by father, Paul Reinhart texted 'You're going to live with this the rest of your life' to his wife, Expert: Reinhart tragedy shows difficulty in identifying signs of suffering. After the murders, Minde OSullivan settled a federal lawsuit with Konrad Reinhart last summer over the $4 million. Court records did not specify how the money was divided. In court papers, Erick described himself as diagnosed with a major depressive disorder and severe anxiety.. In court papers, the insurance company described itself as merely a disinterested stakeholder and said it was in danger of being exposed to multiple liability unless a judge rules in the case. WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | What happened over the next two hours was a tragedy beyond measure. Deputies also learned that Paul Reinhart had a home in Dixie County. She [Minde] couldnt have honored them in a better way, she said. Paul Reinhart, 46, had disappeared into the night with the couples two young sons. Two days before the murders, Paul Reinhart began moving large sums of money from the familys bank accounts: He transferred $299,000 from his business account to a personal account controlled by himself and Konrad Reinhart. The bills would also ban release of photographs, audio or video in all cases when a minor is killed by anyone, not just in domestic violence crimes. Dixie County authorities were asking for assistance with a "murder-suicide investigation," according to an Alachua County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman. The charity honors her sons, who were avid baseball players, to support youth and school baseball teams. His brother Paul financed Ericks legal defense, said Regine Iliff, the mother of Alex Iliff, 33, who died in the attack. Update or Upgrade Your Sustaining Gift Today! Alachua and Dixie deputies communicated and a Dixie deputy said he was 20 minutes away from the home at 7:03 a.m. but it was too late. WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | I do, but you know what sucks? If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The report also confirms that Paul did indeed commit suicide. 1:26. 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. It would cover killings even by police or sheriffs deputies and even if there were questions about whether they acted lawfully in such cases. They permitted full payouts in the instance of suicide as long as Reinhart hadnt killed himself for at least two years after buying them. In 2018, Erick Reinhart was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the slaying of Alex Iliff, though he claimed his defense attorney was not effective and that Paul Reinhart had found important evidence the lawyer had missed. Hillsborough sales tax refund includes legal fees - but for whom? Mother of slain boys sued over husband's $4M life insurance payout; she He moved $100,000 out of Brodys account and $100,000 from Rexs and transferred it to the same account controlled by him and his brother, according to court records. Under the bill, a judge who finds good cause could disclose autopsy reports in certain cases. He said it would have prevented young friends of Rex and Brody learning graphic details online about the deaths of the boys. According to official police reports, Minde Reinhart received a text from Paul Reinhart at 5:39 a.m. on Tuesday morning that read: You should have put your family first. Related story: Those kids were full of life: Rex and Brody Reinhart honored and celebrated at Florida Ballpark. Minde O'Sullivan's estranged husband, Paul Otto Reinhart, 46, fatally shot the couple's sons in May 2021 at the family's waterfront vacation home in western Florida then set the house on fire. Bill shielding children autopsies nears passage in Florida Legislature Florida dad suspected of killing 2 sons, himself was brother of The latest news and how to stay informed. Rex and Brody didnt know they were playing their last game. A local television station went further, detailing in a brief news article published on its website how many times and where on their bodies each boy was shot. You can donate to support our students here. May 7, 2021 Fresh Take Florida, Law and public safety. 1:59:16. One bill passed the Senate 39-0 earlier this month, and the House is expected to vote Thursday on another, after it passed unanimously through three committee votes. No answer. The same day, Paul Reinhart used his phone to search: selfish and having an affair and how to break someone psychologically, mentally and emotionally, according to the final Dixie County Sheriffs Office report. Kaiser and Karl Reinhart did not return messages sent to their Facebook accounts asking to discuss their brothers. Deputies there arrived minutes too late. The charity honors her sons, who were avid baseball players, to support youth and school baseball teams. 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 wife, Minde . Rex and Brody were avid baseball players and their deaths hit their teams and friends hard. Founder and coach Stephen Barton said Brodys energy and drive on the field was unparalleled, and he never backed down from any challenge. Dec 1998 - Present24 years 5 months. Nearly two years after both her sons were killed by her estranged husband, a surviving mother is picking up the pieces of her life to move forward as untold storylines about the murders are just emerging. The security system had been disabled, so there was no video of anyone arriving or leaving. Amy Reinhart was stunned by the news of Paul's actions when a reporter visited her home north of Tampa to talk about the case. Paul Reinhart, 46, is suspected of killing his sons, Rex, 14, and Brody, 11, setting fire to the family's waterfront vacation home in western Florida then killing himself. This extremely difficult and emotional event at the outset of Mothers Day weekend understandably requires time to pray, reflect, and absorb this terrible outcome., Minde Reinhart statement: Reinhart family thanks community, urges those suffering to seek help. Paul Reinhart Obituary Gainesville FL / Death : We mourn with the family of Paul Reinhart, we understand how disheartening they could be right now, so we are sending our thoughts and prayers to the affected ones. Dixie County deputies were able to locate Reinhart's van at a residence in their county that was found to be on fire. The new autopsy reports were significant because they revealed for the first time that Paul Otto Reinhart, 46, of Gainesville used a firearm in the crimes. You never know.. Paul Reinharts body was collapsed at the end of the bed. WUSF 89.7 depends on donors for the funding it takes to provide you the most trusted source of news and information here in town, across our state, and around the world. The teams Twitter and Facebook pages on Wednesday afternoonposted a tribute to Rex. Gainesville murder-suicide: Paul Reinhart texted wife before deaths 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. Amy Reinhart was not hurt in the attack. Rex, 14, and Brody, 11, both had fatal gunshot wounds, according to autopsies. There was no one to save, the firefighter wrote. Minde OSullivans estranged husband, Paul Otto Reinhart, 46, fatally shot the couples sons in May 2021 at the familys waterfront vacation home then set the house on fire and killed himself. When firefighters arrived 19 minutes later, the local deputy was already on the scene and said the fire was too intense to go inside. She said she still struggles to discuss her sons death. [Florida Channel screenshot taken by Fresh Take Florida], Defamation bill dead for this Florida legislative session, sponsor says, Florida bill protecting conscience allows doctors to deny treatment, Trump plans visit to Iowa on same day as DeSantis. The policies were worth $2 million each and permitted full payouts even in a case of suicide. Meanwhile, at 6:46 a.m., Verizon reported Paul Reinhart's phone was turned on and closest to a tower near the vacation home. Its next major fundraiser is Sept. 23 at UFs football stadium. Teammates, opponents and baseball enthusiasts dressed in team shirts and hats. The property deed and a $900,000 30-year mortgage borrowed in 2008 previously listed both Paul and Minde Reinhart's names, but Reinhart's name was removed as owner after his death, according .