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Reitz was also sent to a sleep clinic like this one for a battery of tests to see if he really did have a recognized sleeping disorder, something severe enough to produce such violence. he was wired and monitored and recorded. and as he fell asleep, cameras rolled. then the tests revealed not only a propensity to sleepwalk, reitz also suffered a significant night terror that was caught on tape and later featured in an australian documentary on sleepwalking. >> is it possible in this case there was a sleep terror episode and a sleepwalking episode which was somehow happening at the same time an...

>> dr. alon avidan runs the ucla sleep center in los angeles. he was not involved in the case but has studied sleepwalking for years. it's one of many types of sleeping disorders. >> what happens is that patients are neither asleep nor awake. but when you look at their brain activity, terror sleep. yet they act out behaviors that are often as simple as talking to more complex episodes such as walking, as we see in sleepwalking. >> in the morning they wouldn't be aware of any of this? >> they have no recollection. >> if someone has a history of sleepwalking like stephen reitz was claiming, and ...

Behavior during a sleepwalking episode. much like those seen in sleep disorder clinics. >> they may be dreaming that there's an intruder in the house and they're trying to protect themselves against the intruder. and in a way, punch and kick and hurt their bed partner. >> and perhaps even kill them? yes, says dr. avidan. it's rare, but it happens. consider the story investigators were about to encounter. it had happened before with an astonishing result. if you think you know the human mind, prepare to be amazed. or perhaps disturbed. coming up, a previous case, killing while sleepwalking. t...

To more complex episodes such as walking, as we see in sleepwalking. >> in the morning they wouldn't be aware of any of this? >> they have no recollection. >> if someone has a history of sleepwalking like stephen reitz was claiming, and who uses drugs or alcohol like those found at the crime scene, then the chances of an episode are even more likely. and there was one more risk factor that may have contributed to the violent nature of stephen reitz's alleged sleepwalking episode. he was bipolar, which made him more susceptible to violent behavior during a sleepwalking episode. much like those ...

Tape and later featured in an australian documentary on sleepwalking. >> is it possible in this case there was a sleep terror episode and a sleepwalking episode which would somehow happening at the same time and thus created this tremendous violence? >> it's very likely. patients may wake up, be terrified, fulfill all the criteria for what we call sleep terror and then go on to develop a sleepwalking episode. >> dr. alon avidan runs the ucla sleep center in los angeles. he was not involved in the case but has studied sleepwalking for years. it's one of many types of sleeping disorders. >> what...