The unthinkable has become official. Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood legend Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of his parents.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges yesterday. The filing includes special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and the use of a deadly weapon. If convicted, Reiner faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.
A “Heartbreaking” Discovery
The charges follow a grim discovery on Sunday afternoon. Officers from the LAPD’s West Los Angeles Division responded to a 3:40 p.m. call at the Reiners’ longtime home in Brentwood. Inside, they found Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 68, dead from multiple stab wounds.
Sources close to the investigation confirmed to CBS News that the couple’s daughter, Romy Reiner, was the one who discovered the bodies and called 911. The brutality of the crime has left investigators and family friends reeling. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell called the case “heartbreaking and deeply personal” for the entire city.
The Manhunt and Arrest
Nick Reiner was identified as the suspect almost immediately. Police tracked him to the Exposition Park area near the University of Southern California later that evening. He was taken into custody without incident at approximately 9:15 p.m. on Sunday, less than six hours after the bodies were found.
He remains held without bail. His scheduled arraignment on Tuesday was postponed after his attorney, Alan Jackson, told reporters that Nick was not “medically cleared” to appear in court. Jackson, a high-profile defense lawyer known for representing Harvey Weinstein, did not elaborate on the medical issue.
The “Conan Party” Argument
While police have not released a motive, reports are painting a picture of a family in crisis in the hours leading up to the tragedy.
According to TMZ and the Los Angeles Times, the Reiners attended a holiday party hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien on Saturday night, just one day before the murders. Witnesses reported seeing Nick Reiner “acting strangely” and engaging in a “brief but loud” argument with his father during the event. This public dispute is now a key focus for homicide detectives trying to piece together the timeline.
A Public Struggle
The Reiner family had been open about Nick’s turbulent past. Father and son famously collaborated on the 2015 film Being Charlie, which was based on Nick’s own battles with drug addiction and homelessness as a teenager.
At the time, Rob Reiner spoke of the healing process the film represented. “I’d rather have you alive and hating me than dead on the streets,” Rob famously said of his approach to his son’s recovery. In a tragic twist, Rob told People magazine just three months ago that Nick was “in a really good place” and hadn’t used drugs for over six years.
Hollywood Mourns
The shockwaves are being felt across the industry and the political spectrum. Rob Reiner was a titan of cinema, responsible for classics like The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, and A Few Good Men, and a passionate political activist.
Tributes have poured in from friends and colleagues. Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband, Christopher Guest, released a statement saying they were “numb and sad and shocked.” Former President Barack Obama, who was said to have seen Rob and Michele Reiner on the day of their deaths, also weighed in, honoring the couple’s “lives defined by purpose” and their “belief in the goodness of people.
This story is developing. We will update as more information becomes available.
