UCI Pharm.Sciences Professor arrested for High School Murder Plot

SDN Members don't see this ad. (About Ads)

UCI Associate Professor Jailed in High School Murder Plot

A man, apparently distraught over his son's suicide after being disciplined at school, allegedly threatened to burn the school and kill students, administrators

By Jason Kandel and Melissa Pamer | Tuesday, Jul 31, 2012 | Updated 8:50 PM PDT




An associate professor at the University of California at Irvine has been arrested in connection with a plot to burn down his son’s former high school and kill students and administrators.

Rainer Klaus Reinscheid, 48, a 10-year associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at UCI, was arrested July 27 after police discovered emails detailing the plan, police said.

Reinscheid allegedly hatched the plot in March, after his 14-year-old son, a University High School student, was disciplined at school. After the discipline incident, the teen committed suicide by hanging in March, police said.

The teen's body was found at Mason Park Preserve in Irvine, police said. Reinscheid allegedly set several fires in the area after that.

Reinscheid's arraignment in Santa Ana Superior Court was postponed Tuesday until Aug. 8.

He has been charged with two felony counts of arson of another's property, two felony counts of arson of a structure, one felony count of arson of an inhabited residence, one felony count of attempted arson, and one misdemeanor count of resisting or obstructing an officer, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

If convicted, Reinscheid faces up to sentence of 12 years and eight months in state prison.

Police said Reinscheid lighted up to five fires -- including at Mason Park Preserve -- between July 4 and July 24.

Reinscheid was arrested on July 24 at Mason Park Preserve where police said they saw him allegedly lighting newspapers on fire with lighter fluid. He bailed out of jail as police continued their investigation.

On July 27, detectives discovered e-mails on the defendant’s cell phone that described in detail his plan to burn down University High School, commit sexual assaults, purchase firearms and kill school officials and students, before killing himself.

Once the emails were discovered, Reinscheid was re-arrested, police said.

UCI declined to comment, only confirming Reinscheid's employment at the campus. The university referred calls to the Irvine Police Department.

Reinshceid earned his Ph.D. from the Center for Molecular Neurobiology at Hamburg, Germany in 1993, according to his profile at the University of California, Irvine.


http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/lo...164491226.html

That's nice but what does this have to do with pharmacy school?

Originally Posted by confettiflyer

That's nice but what does this have to do with pharmacy school?

Because he was teaching pharmacy students.

Here's another link to a different story.

http://news.yahoo.com/oc-da-sons-dea...071837402.html

Originally Posted by confettiflyer

That's nice but what does this have to do with pharmacy school?

Nothing. It's just very sad.

Sad indeed. And he must be pretty raw at committing arson for having left a trail of evidence for investigators to follow.

Did anyone here have him as a professor, and what was he like? You can PM me if you don't want to post it here.

Originally Posted by rph3664

Did anyone here have him as a professor, and what was he like? You can PM me if you don't want to post it here.

We had no idea he would be capable of such actions. He seemed to calm and well ...augmented. No one could have suspected him of such actions...

Never met him but guessing thats what people would have to say

Originally Posted by rph3664

Did anyone here have him as a professor, and what was he like? You can PM me if you don't want to post it here.

Seriously? The man lost his child and went off the deep end. It's a tragedy, not entertainment.

UC Irvine doesn't have a PharmD program; I doubt you'll find anybody here who had this man as a professor.

Irvine University High School is ranked among the top ten public schools in the nation. Parents who send their kids to UHI expect them to be the future leaders of America, if not the world. A damage to even a single string of hair to their children is worse than chopping an arm off from the parents. It is imaginable how untouchable these little emperors are in the eyes of their parents. And it is not easy for the school to discipline its students without incurring the wrath of the parents.

I wonder what was the background of the incident that led to the disciplinary action. Was the kid unfairly disciplined by the school or was the dad unreasonably protective of his child?

Originally Posted by All4MyDaughter

Seriously? The man lost his child and went off the deep end. It's a tragedy, not entertainment.

I completely agree. But this guy made threats to hurt other children who went to that school. I understand that the lost of a loved one can drive people crazy but anger at the school for a punishment that I am guessing was not completely unreasonable is not justifiable. The man is trying to find a scapegoat.
I truly feel sorry for the loss, I really do.. but still.


And btw to everyone else he was a professor of pharmaceutical science. It is not unheard of for there to be a pharmaceutical science program that is independent from a pharmacy school.

Originally Posted by rph3664

Because he was teaching pharmacy students.

No he wasn't. UCI doesn't even have a pharmacy school.

Originally Posted by BrightLight

Irvine University High School is ranked among the top ten public schools in the nation. Parents who send their kids to UHI expect them to be the future leaders of America, if not the world. A damage to even a single string of hair to their children is worse than chopping an arm off from the parents. It is imaginable how untouchable these little emperors are in the eyes of their parents. And it is not easy for the school to discipline its students without incurring the wrath of the parents.

I wonder what was the background of the incident that led to the disciplinary action. Was the kid unfairly disciplined by the school or was the dad unreasonably protective of his child?

Yeah I volunteered at Uni...they have like a 99% matriculation rate to 4 year universities.

There's always weird crimes that happen in Irvine because it's so rare. First you had the samurai sword decapitation at the local Albertson's, then the crazy armed gunman roaming the woods they had to shoot, and finally this.

Originally Posted by rph3664

Because he was teaching pharmacy students.

Here's another link to a different story.

http://news.yahoo.com/oc-da-sons-dea...071837402.html

UCI - does not have pharmacy students - was he reaching pharn at another school ? If so why was he a faculty at UCI then ? Undergrad campuses have pharmacology courses sometimes for certain degrees like biochem, was it something like that ?


In any case, just head over to MD forum and read the plastic surgeon plotting to kill another MD story, now that one is hilarious. Professional occupation does not equate good moral standing.

Originally Posted by hereticmnk

I completely agree. But this guy made threats to hurt other children who went to that school. I understand that the lost of a loved one can drive people crazy but anger at the school for a punishment that I am guessing was not completely unreasonable is not justifiable. The man is trying to find a scapegoat.
I truly feel sorry for the loss, I really do.. but still.

Where did I say that anything he did was justifiable? The whole situation is a tragedy, not cause for people to be asking for PMs about titillating details on this guy. It's not entertainment.

Originally Posted by cheburashka

UCI - does not have pharmacy students - was he reaching pharn at another school ? If so why was he a faculty at UCI then ? Undergrad campuses have pharmacology courses sometimes for certain degrees like biochem, was it something like that ?


In any case, just head over to MD forum and read the plastic surgeon plotting to kill another MD story, now that one is hilarious. Professional occupation does not equate good moral standing.

And there was that story a few years ago about the woman astronaut who put on an adult diaper and drove 900 miles to kill a romantic rival.

A4MD, I wasn't asking out of prurient interest. I just wondered what he was like as a teacher, and also didn't know that this college doesn't have a pharmacy school. The pharmacology class could be for nurses or some kind of biochemistry program.

Originally Posted by All4MyDaughter

Where did I say that anything he did was justifiable? The whole situation is a tragedy, not cause for people to be asking for PMs about titillating details on this guy. It's not entertainment.

I know you didn't'.. its just that in my books, that guy does not deserve to be treated like most people dealing with a tragedy. He lost that privilege by acting so dumb. If this happened to a more deserving person, I would respect their privacy, with this guy.. not so much.