We owe it to them to keep our memories in us and play for them every time we take the field.. She remains in touch with Ericks ex-wife, who confirmed to her the two were brothers. GAINESVILLE 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. It said she and Konrad Reinhart have agreed the money should be deposited in a bank account controlled by Fidelitys law firm until a judge decides who will receive the money. The bills were sponsored by two Alachua County lawmakers: Rep. Charles Chuck Clemons, R-Newberry, and Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville. You should have put your family first, he wrote. 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. Thomas is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org. On Tuesday morning, Paul Reinhart killed his two young sons, then set his vacation home in Dixie County on fire and killed himself, according to reports from the Dixie County Sheriff's . The two were friends for years and began dating after the murders. When the Senate voted, she broke into tears in the Capitol as her mother, Tammy Prince, put her arm around her to comfort her. He suffered significant carbon monoxide exposure in his blood, tests showed. Do the right thing and help protect Minde, her family, and all the impacted children from further trauma.. Yonge parents, school officials and the University of Florida Police . Erick also said he would've agreed to a 25-year sentence. 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. Thats all he said, in his mind. Deputies also learned that Paul Reinhart had a home in Dixie County. It would also cover evidence of deaths of children in cases that may have been handled or mishandled by government regulators, such as Floridas Department of Children and Families. Most media coverage then focused on the disclosure that Reinhart had shot the boys, without graphic descriptions. Muschamp wasnt home, but his parents were. The company sells medical devices. A surviving parent or spouse who was not involved in their childs death could review an autopsy report. All rights reserved. It also brought attention to the need to look out for the mental health of friends and family. You changed your life insurance policies so I dont get any f***ing money, Minde OSullivan told Reinhart in a conversation that Reinhart apparently recorded, according to a sheriffs office report. While Minde OSullivan attended legislative hearings in Tallahassee, she also founded and focused her efforts on the Rex & Brody Foundation. The legislation said such reports contain highly sensitive descriptions of the deceased and could result in trauma, sorrow, humiliation, or emotional injury to the immediate family and minor friends of the deceased, as well as injury to the memory of the deceased.. 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. A community service was held at the University of Florida baseball stadium. A cigarette lighter was the source of the blaze, the report said. Upon extinguishing the fire, Dixie County deputies discovered three deceased individuals in the residence. Hes been depressed. They had formally separated, and she was living nearby. They found an unspecified accelerant, perhaps gasoline. Erick Von Reinhart, 50, 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. This was just the biggest birthday gift that I could ever imagine, Minde OSullivan said. The reporter can be reached at carissa.allen@freshtakeflorida.com. OSullivan was a neighbor of the Reinhart family. She had dialed 911, sparking a search by law enforcement for Reinhart, who had driven roughly 50 miles west to their waterfront vacation home near Suwannee. The judge in December denied his request for a shorter prison term, but a new request is under consideration. When Minde Reinhart arrived at her former home in Gainesville, it was empty of people and the familys dog. Rex made an immediate impact on the team and in the lives of his teammates, both on and off the field. Konrad Reinhart did not return a phone message left at his home. Rex, 14, and Brody, 11, both had fatal gunshot wounds, according to autopsies. The companys term beneficiary change form did not specify on the document that information was required. The bills were sponsored by two Alachua County lawmakers: Rep. Charles Chuck Clemons, R-Newberry, and Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville. This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. 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. May 7, 2021 Fresh Take Florida, Law and public safety. But on the way out, Brody didnt shut the door. 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. Founder and coach Stephen Barton said Brodys energy and drive on the field was unparalleled, and he never backed down from any challenge. She later said during a deposition in a related court dispute with Reinharts family that she had been unaware of Reinharts efforts to change his $4 million in life insurance policies. I felt something abnormal and got within inches of it and found it to be a deceased small child, he wrote. There was no one to save, the firefighter wrote. A mural painted Wednesday, May 5, 2021 on a city wall in Gainesville, Florida, honors the lives of youth baseball players Rex Reinhart, 14, and Brody Reinhart, 11, who were believed killed by their father, Paul O. Reinhart, 46, on May 4, 2021 . Stop calling me." She vividly remembers boys love for the game. The legislation said such reports contain highly sensitive descriptions of the deceased and could result in trauma, sorrow, humiliation, or emotional injury to the immediate family and minor friends of the deceased, as well as injury to the memory of the deceased.. You changed your life insurance policies so I dont get any f***ing money, Minde OSullivan told Reinhart in a conversation that Reinhart apparently recorded, according to a sheriffs office report. 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 . Gainesville, FL . At the time, the couple was separated and intended to divorce. 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. 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. Update or Upgrade Your Sustaining Gift Today! 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. Lawmakers want to change rules. Meanwhile, her sons legacy may be legislation The Rex and Brody Act that is so far sailing through the state Legislature. The family, which ran a lucrative medical device sales company, was prominent in the regions social and political circles. 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. Within minutes, deputies in Alachua County began searching for Reinhart and the boys, according to dispatch records obtained under Floridas public records law. Youre going to live with this the rest of your life., She replied by text: Please dont hurt yourself or the boys. Im so happy that I put my phone down all the time and didnt return texts and emails, she said. Under the bill, a judge who finds good cause could disclose autopsy reports in certain cases. But detectives later found two 9mm Glock pistols in the burned home in Suwannee. He has, before this happened, said he had awful, inappropriate thoughts in his brain. Soot from the fire was found on his body and clothing. The thing that is so upsetting is that it was planned out weeks before, Minde OSullivan said in an interview. But the sense of community overwhelmed the ballpark. 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. Dixie County deputies were able to locate Reinhart's van at a residence in their county that was found to be on fire. 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. On May 4 the bodies were discovered in the Gainesville familys Dixie County river house, which had been set on fire. Minde and her family do not want to know the details contained within these reports about her childrens murder and we respectfully request that you refrain from publishing the reports or any of the details contained within them, Jeff Aaron of the Gray-Robinson law firm in Orlando wrote in a letter. He wasnt being treated for mental illness or taking psychiatric medication, she said. Were working hard to bring you the latest news from the states legislative session. At the time, the couple was separated and intended to divorce. When you are not thinking clearly, you make decisions that are not always positive. Amy Reinhart was not hurt in the attack. Editors note: This story includes descriptions of suicide. The text message from her estranged husband arrived at 5:39 a.m., even as Minde Reinhart was already on the phone with a sheriffs dispatcher pleading for help and searching for answers. A surviving parent or spouse who was not involved in their childs death could review an autopsy report. The latest news and how to stay informed. Minde OSullivans charity, which raised $82,222 last year, pays for baseball facility improvements and sponsors local teams to compete in national tournaments. At 7:03 a.m., that deputy told Pillar he was 20 minutes out. If they had died, Reinhart identified one of his brothers, Konrad Reinhart, 45, of Gainesville, as a secondary beneficiary. Paul Otto Reinhart, 46, was a successful executive of a medical device sales firm and living in a $900,000 home in Gainesville until his world began unraveling: He lost his job as president. 2023 www.gainesville.com. Eerie parallels: Man suspected of killing young sons, himself mirrors case of brother. He was kind, generous, funny, talented, and a bit of a fashion icon with his flow and sunglasses. He stood tall and confident on the mound despite his calm demeanor. With the changes, Reinhart sought to designate his sons, Rex, 14, and Brody, 11, as primary beneficiaries. While Minde OSullivan attended legislative hearings in Tallahassee, she also founded and focused her efforts on the Rex & Brody Foundation. 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. And as he got to know him, his character. The security system had been disabled, so there was no video of anyone arriving or leaving. Minde OSullivan made clear to lawmakers she did not want to learn details of her sons tragic deaths in a case that generated public interest across Florida because it would be too upsetting. He always answers the phone, and hes not, she said, her voice breaking. This is just really weird, she said on the 911 call. Gainesville, Florida Area. The reporter can be reached at thomasweber@ufl.edu, A group message had P.K. Tags baby community Dixie County elementary school energy Florida football gators gators football Lawton Chiles school travel Will Muschamp WUFT wuft news, After years of substantial operational losses and an audit from the state, the Gainesville City . Im going to cherish these moments for the rest of my life, Sheffield said. After the murders, Minde OSullivan settled a federal lawsuit with Konrad Reinhart last summer over the $4 million. She flew to Washington with her parents in late September to attend the congressional baseball game, where Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., said she was playing in memory of the boys, who were avid baseball players. The final law enforcement investigative report in the case including efforts by two county sheriffs offices and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was expected to be made public next week. 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. On May 4, Alachua County Sheriffs deputies began searching for Paul Reinhart and Dixie County Sheriffs deputies later found him and his two sons dead in the house. Konrad Reinhart months ago threatened a reporter who called to ask about a related issue. A lawyer for the boys mother late Tuesday formally requested that news organizations refrain from publishing any details about their deaths from the autopsy reports because it would be too upsetting. The men have at least three other brothers: Karl Wilhelm Reinhart, 47, of Tampa; Konrad Rolf Reinhart, 44, of Gainesville; and Kaiser Wilhelm Reinhart, 43, of Chula Vista, California. 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. 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. Get the latest coverage of the 2023 Florida legislative session in Tallahassee from our coverage partners and WUSF. It wasn't like he just snapped on a whim. According to independent local news station WJXT, Alachua County Sheriff's Office deputies attempted to perform a wellness chec k on Paul Otto Reinhart, 46, and his sons Rex Reinhart, 14, and Brody Reinhart, 11, at around 6 a.m. Tuesday. 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. The proposed law would have kept details secret. Reinhart is suspected of killing his two young sons and himself on May 4, 2021, in his family's burning vacation home near Suwannee. This effort takes a lot of resources to gather and update. Rex was shot in the head and the back of his neck. 49, as seen in this undated prison photograph from the Florida Department of . A judge denied him the shorter sentence, though a new request is still being considered. 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. Inside the room, he worked his hands around a bunk bed. 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. 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. Paul Reinhart, 46, of Gainesville, fatally shot the couples young sons on May 4 before setting fire to the familys vacation home near Suwannee in western Florida and fatally shooting himself. Teammates, opponents and baseball enthusiasts dressed in team shirts and hats. The cause of death of Rex and Brody is listed as homicide. You're going to live with this the rest of your life.". Paul Reinhart had also updated his will just weeks before the killings to prevent his. Please come home.. But as is often the case with mental. 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. The case is still under investigation. Amy Reinhart, the ex-wife, was hiding nearby and called 911. In a statement on May 8, Minde Pierce Reinhart, the wife of Paul Reinhart, and her family thanked the community for its support and urged those dealing with depression or mental health issues to seek help. 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. My heart is broken, aches all the time, she wrote in a letter to the judge in August 2014. Eight days before the murders, Reinhart filed paperwork to change two life insurance policies to keep his wife from collecting money after his death. Now it's too late. 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. Authorities had said only that Reinhart who had separated from his wife, Minde Reinhart, and lost his high-paying executive job was suspected of killing his sons and setting fire to the familys waterfront vacation home in Dixie County in western Florida then killing himself. After Reinhart family murders, new bill nears passage to shield kids' autopsy reports. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. Separately, Paul Reinhart also updated his will 15 days before the murders to prevent his wife from receiving any assets after their 19 years of marriage. Brody regularly served as the unofficial batboy for the University of Florida baseball team. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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 it's all out there and it's out there forever, Clemons said. No foreign substances were detected in their bloodstreams. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. of minors who have been murdered, he told lawmakers on the judiciary committee last month. We have a unit responding and should be making contact with your deputy shortly, the sheriffs office there said. Paul Reinhart of Gainesville fatally shot his two sons and then shot himself, according to autopsies released Tuesday by the District Eight Medical Examiners Office. He did not list any bank accounts, investments or other assets. The reporters can be reached at, WUFT 89.1 / 90.1 Featured Thank you Gifts. Before Paul Reinhart allegedly killed his two sons, and then himself, on May 4, the unemployed medical device salesman sent his estranged wife Minde an ominous message, according to . 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. Court records did not specify how the money was divided. That sounds so much like Erick, Iliff said, her voice trembling. 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. We need to figure out how to pitch like Rex and play like Brody forever, Barton said. They found an unspecified accelerant, perhaps gasoline. Neither Reinhart nor his boys, 14-year-old Rex and 11-year-old Brody, were present at the couple's $900,000 home in a west Gainesville gated community, according to The Gainesville Sun. Florida Senate passes controversial elections changes, Get Capitol Buzz, a special bonus edition of The Buzz with Emily L. Mahoney, each Saturday while the Legislature is meeting. Fresh Take Florida. The teams Twitter and Facebook pages on Wednesday afternoonposted a tribute to Rex. The autopsy reports said Rex appeared to be shot with a 9 mm projectile, a caliber common to handguns. The thing that is so upsetting is that it was planned out weeks before, Minde OSullivan said in an interview. 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. In court papers, Erick described himself as diagnosed with a major depressive disorder and severe anxiety.. According to the medical examiner, Brody suffered four gunshot wounds in the head, neck, chest, hands and arms. It would cover killings even by police or sheriffs deputies and even if there were questions about whether they acted lawfully in such cases. Its too late Father Texted Estranged Wife On Morning He Killed Sons, Himself, WUFT 89.1 / 90.1 Featured Thank you Gifts. A measure of the carboxyhemoglobin in his blood put its concentration at 55%, generally enough to render an adult unconscious. Hundreds Gather At Florida Ballpark To Honor Lives Of Boys Killed By Father. Watch the Florida Legislature live: The Florida Channel, a public affairs programming service funded by the Legislature, livestreams coverage at thefloridachannel.org. The family was prominent in Gainesvilles social and political circles, and Brody Reinhart regularly served as the unofficial batboy for the University of Florida baseball team. The family had experienced violent tragedy already: Paul Reinhart is the younger brother of a convicted murderer who also tried to take his own life in a similarly violent household attack seven years ago.