Reiser leads police to wife's body

Famed Linux programmer Hans Reiser has led police to his wife’s remains only two days before he was to be sentenced for her murder.

Reiser, who developed the popular open source program ReiserFS, was convicted back in April for the first-degree murder of his wife, Nina.

Police confirmed that on Monday afternoon, Reiser led them to remains in the Oakland, California hills -- only half a mile from the home Reiser shared with his mother where Nina Reiser was last seen in September 2006.

Officials claim that the revelation of Nina’s body would mean a reduced sentence for Reiser from first-degree murder, which carries a 25 years to life prison term, to second degree murder, which carries 15 years to life.

Reiser’s lawyers confirm the revelation of the body, and say that the deal has been in the works for some time, as Reiser was the only person who could find the remains due to their obscure location.

Oakland police say, however, the body has not yet been identified and that more details will be revealed during a news conference on Tuesday in California.

Until the availability of this deal, Reiser had maintained his innocence, both in the press and during his trial, and had gone has far as to suggest his Russian-born wife had framed him and was now living in her native St. Petersburg.

The Reisers were in the process of divorcing at the time of Nina’s disappearance and she was last seen dropping the couple’s two children off with Reiser at his mother’s house, though conflicting reports from the children made it difficult to pinpoint her last whereabouts.

Reiser’s sentencing was scheduled for this Wednesday, but has been postponed because of these recent developments in the case.