This is an inner segment of the larger web site amindformurder.com covering FBI psychic Noreen Renier who continues to appear on the Court TV series 'Psychic Detectives' and also the Biography channel series 'Psychic Investigators'.   

To see the full report click the HOME page above.

In late 2006 missing person psychic Noreen Renier predicted a win in a lawsuit brought against her by Washington skeptic writer John Merrell who sued after Renier published her 2005 book A Mind for Murder, breaching a Florida State settlement agreement.   Renier's psychic foresight apparently went terribly wrong when a U.S. District Court awarded costs and fees against psychic detective Noreen Renier on April 5, 2007 after previously ordering a federal judgment against her in late 2006.   Below are estimates of costs, losses, unpaid debts, potential claims, and other related impacts since psychic Noreen Renier published her book in May 2005:

Estimated uncollected royalties from her book thru April 2008  $ 40,250

Declared legal costs through August 2007 for Renier's
Seattle based attorney plus Renier's August 2007 bankruptcy
charges paid for her Virginia bankruptcy filing.                               $ 27,889

Estimated Court prior approved interest due her attorney as of April 6, 2008                                        $    3347

2007 Court ordered legal fee reimbursements due skeptic Merrell                                                            $ 38,425

2007 additional court ordered costs due from Renier to be paid to Merrell                                             $   1,133

Additional interest and attorney fees filed by Merrell as of June 2, 2008:                                                 $14,481

Renier's book promo costs (Losses claimed by Renier to Court)                                                             $   7,000

Additional potential estimated Renier debts not among those above:                                                      $ 9,100 

SUBTOTAL OF THE ABOVE:                                                                                                                           $  141, 625

Renier's claim that Merrell broke Florida state settlement agreement                                   DENIED by court

Continued publication of her original 2005 book A Mind for Murder              HALTED in 2006 by publisher

Federal court judgment ruling against Noreen Renier                                                          ORDERED by court

Claim that Merrell breached confidentiality clause in Settlement Agreement                      DENIED by court

Request to dismiss Merrell's claims with prejudice                                                              REJECTED by court

Claim that Merrell tortuously interfered with her publishing contract and with
her business expectancies associated with ongoing publication of her 2005 book   REJECTED by court

Renier's motion that court ruling conflicts with her constitutional rights                             DENIED by court

Claim that Merrell was not entitled to his fees and costs because he was not
the "prevailing party" as that term is defined by Washington law                                          DENIED by court

Argument that Renier's counterclaims should stand             ALL COUNTERCLAIMS DISMISSED by court

Renier's claim that she had constitutional right for truthful speech                                       DENIED by court

All damages sought by Renier against Merrell                                                             ALL  REJECTED by court

Claim that Renier did not breach the settlement agreement                                              REJECTED by court

Request to deduct Merrell's legal fees for unreasonable "administrative tasks"         REJECTED by court

Claim that Merrell "cannot manufacture a case against Ms. Renier simply
because she told the truth. He has no damages, his claims are untimely,
and his theories would violate constitutional rights."                                                          REJECTED by court

In early April 2007 Renier wrote on her web site that following the publication of her book A Mind for Murder in 2005 "the publishers attorney went thru the book looking for data to backup my quotes, etc.   Unfortunately they neglected to spot the problem that was to materialize in this latest lawsuit, although they were told to be very careful; the skeptic sued at the drop of a hat."

Yet just a few weeks later that commentary disappeared from her web site.

Did her original publisher have something to say about her claim and ask her to remove it?

Completely ignored on her web site however are the comments made by U.S. District Court judge James Robart.   His court order states ". . . the record before the court shows that it is impossible that Ms. Renier breached the agreement in this case without some level of fault.   She knew or should have known of the agreement, and breached it nonetheless."

According to John Merrell "clearly once the publisher knew that Renier had previously signed a settlement agreement is was clear Renier's book had potential legal issues.   Failing to 'spot the problem' would not have been difficult as the problem continues for page after page after page throughout Renier's original release of the book!   In fact the publisher's attorney told a judge they ceased publication virtually immediately.   So there's a very real unspoken question.   Did Renier notify the publisher that a settlement agreement was in place prior to publication?"    

As noted here for truTV police psychic followers, the U.S. District judge wrote "The court rejects Ms. Renier's claim that she did not breach the Settlement Agreement because her statements in A Mind for Murder are, according to her, true."

In his April 5 2007 federal order the judge wrote "The gravamen of Plaintiff's lawsuit was breach of contract; Plaintiff prevailed on this claim.  Defendant, on the other hand, failed to prevail on any of her counterclaims.   Accordingly , the court finds Plaintiff is the prevailing party and is entitled to the reasonable fees and costs associated with presecuting his claim for breach of contract."

Renier herself commented that "the skeptic sued at the drop of a hat" but that too is an exaggeration.

Rather than a quick launch of his lawsuit, Merrell actually waited five months following the initial release of Renier's book before notifying Renier of possible legal action in September 2005.    Court records show Merrell then waited another 72 days with no response from Renier before he filed his lawsuit.   And Renier did not acknowledge even his lawsuit for weeks after that.   The process from trigger point to conclusion was a full two years.   So why is it her harshest words --- 'at the drop of a hat' --- don't even ring true?  

Merrell notes her 'drop of the hat' comment now has a whole new meaning.   He stated following the April 5, 2007 decision by the court that "for months according to her web site she passed her 'collection hat' to solicit funds from clients, friends and family."  On June 6, 2007 Merrell withdrew a variety of options he had provided Renier beyond full payment provisions provided by the courts on her original $39,558 debt due to Merrell.

Renier never responded to any of Merrell's offers before the June 5, 2007 deadline.    That meant Renier would have needed to respond to collection proceedings in New York state where Merrell had filed for collection as well as within her home state of Virginia within approximately 72 hours --- but on August 28th she filed for her second Chapter 7 bankruptcy in eight years.

Skeptic writer John Merrell wonders how those who urge others to donate to Noreen Renier may comprehend this odd imbalance.   He asks "What does it say when her supporters urge you to donate to Renier yet she leaves ---according to her bankruptcy filing --- her car shop mechanic unpaid for $377 after working on her Volvo?   Do her psychic supporters ask if she dropped off her car knowing she couldn't pay the bill or do they offer another explanation?   In her filing to the bankruptcy court on August 28, 2007 she claimed her year 2006 income was less than $6400.   Yet months later she revised her 2006 income figures upward for by more than 7 times, and her total income revisions over just 32 months became greater than $100,000.  How does one make that kind of mistake?"

Bankruptcy Trustee William F. Schneider for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville has examined her filings and the Court issued a statement in March 2008 that "it appears that assets may be recovered by the trustee."  On March 31, 2008 Renier was granted her Chapter 7 bankruptcy though assets are still held by the Trustee on behalf of creditors.

The case number is 07-61602 and the bankruptcy court clerk's phone number is 434-845-0317.   It is likely part of the assets to be recovered on behalf of her creditors will be royalties and/or ownership rights to Renier's book A Mind for Murder. 

Anyone with solid psychic foresight would most certainly have had acute knowledge of the lawsuit's outcome.  

Merrell offered to give Renier until June 5, 2007 to negotiate a settlement where under an agreed structure she would have publicly and openly showcased charades within the paranormal community.    It would have been remarkable to have a psychic-skeptic book co-written by a leading skeptic such as Gary Posner or Joe Nickell which examines how international psychics have fooled the public and media.   Revenues from such a book could have substantially off-set her current legal fees and lawsuit costs.   Potentially she might have even made a profit from such a venture.

Had she complained about the selection of her potential co-author there were other distinguished writers within the CSI organization based in Amherst New York . The CSI organization membership includes international Nobel laureates, and such distinguished writers as James Oberg, an NBC News analyst; Martin Gardner a columnist for Scientific American magazine; Marilyn vos Savant who writes in Parade magazine; and Bill Nye the television host better know as ‘Bill Nye the science guy.'  In fact there were some over 50 international personnel available from this eminent organization which included before their deaths both Issac Asimov and Carl Sagan.

It would be a remarkable collaboration to have a psychic-skeptic book written by a woman who has interacted with international psychics and has openly admitted of psychic frauds that use shams to con the public. She could have started by examining the farce behind a claim she made before millions of TV viewers concerning a plane crash near Gardner Massachusetts.   She stated that she was instrumental in finding the crashed plane and a young crash victim carried an injured woman from the plane after surviving a crash.   We know that claim is a charade as witnesses and a medical examiner have stated the plane was found independently by others and all of the passengers aboard the plane died instantly.   Yet Noreen Renier further fantasized and glorified this masquerade both within her own book and under oath before a jury.   But Renier never took this offer before the June 5, 2007 deadline.

On June 7, 2007 Merrell noted "Renier failed to agree to my offer to prove under a qualified and sanctioned test something as simple as her claims of human levitation, psychic sight through clothing, or her two-way communication with trees.   I had publicly stated that in so doing I would forgive her original $39,558 debt and even allow the demonstration to take place on any accredited academic campus in the country for her convenience.   It could have been held with up to fifty friends and family she selected to offset any emotional concerns from among a lesser number of personnel who would attend.   I was even willing to pay for the costs to support the use of a public hall or auditorium where she could have demonstrated her psychic abilities.   What's really amazing is that in failing to make the attempt under the direction of internationally fair and impartial known personalities, she also fails to collect on my offer to write a $10,000 donation to any one of the top ten U.S. children's charities in her name."

If a psychic won't provide an open public judgment on their paranormal abilities on behalf of children charities one must wonder about their abilities to correctly showcase what they claim.

Merrell notes "She is now 71 years old and has now determined what her legacy will be defined as.    She now stands among a collection of fantastic claims with some identified as nothing more than fantasies in a 22-year-old psychic charade and with two bankruptcy filings.   She clearly has been unwilling to self administer her own assets and income with psychic foresight to timely pay those whom she owes debts --- a uniquely different character than the one she presents to TV viewers and her book readers."

View other segments about Noreen Renier below or click the link to return to HOME.   Key documents from the court are also available in PDF form at the end of segment 10 below.