At the end of April, the sensational trial of Hans Reiser — the programmer behind ReiserFS — ended in a conviction for murdering his estranged wife Nina, with Reiser continuing to proclaim his innocence. That tactic seems to have given way after a month in jail, however, as the "abrasive" and "completely inept" geek is now looking for a deal.

What could he possibly bring to the barter, with a first-degree murder conviction and a mandatory 25-to-life sentence hanging overhead? The body, of course. Investigators never found Nina Reiser's body, and the defense maintained that she was alive and well, hiding in her native Russia. The jury didn't buy the tale, and apparently now even Hans is ready to give it up. Sources report that preliminary talks are ongoing for Reiser to lead police to the body in exchange for downgrading his conviction from first degree murder to second degree, providing the possibility of parole after 15 years. The deal is far from complete, though the amended verdict it is said to be contingent on the results of an autopsy — should malice aforethought become obvious, all bets are off. Reiser was offered an even more lenient deal — a manslaughter plea coupled with an eleven-year sentence — if he would produce the body prior to trial, but the offer was rejected.

Whether Reiser will go through with the deal — his actions so far haven't proven particularly predictable or rational — remains to be seen.
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Justin Ryan is the News Editor for Linux Journal.
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