Los Angeles police have booked Nick Reiner, son of director Rob Reiner and producer Michele Singer Reiner, on suspicion of murder in the stabbing deaths of his parents at their Brentwood home, with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office reviewing the case.
Authorities are advancing their investigation into the December 14 killings of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, producer and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, after the couple were found with apparent stab wounds inside their Brentwood, Los Angeles, home.
According to Los Angeles police and local media reports, firefighters responded to a medical aid call at the residence in the afternoon, where a man and a woman were discovered dead. Investigators later said the case had developed into a homicide investigation, with both victims believed to have been fatally stabbed. Police have not publicly reported any signs of forced entry at the home.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said that Robbery-Homicide Division detectives took 32-year-old Nick Reiner into custody on suspicion of murdering his parents. He was subsequently booked for murder and is being held on $4 million bail, McDonnell told reporters. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has said it is reviewing the evidence to determine appropriate charges.
Nick Reiner has spoken openly about long-running struggles with addiction. In a 2016 interview with People magazine, he said he first entered rehab for drug abuse at age 15 and by that point had been through at least 17 treatment programs. Those experiences helped inspire the 2015 film "Being Charlie," which he co-wrote with his father.
Multiple outlets, citing witnesses, have reported that Rob and Nick Reiner attended a holiday party hosted by Conan O’Brien the night before the killings and that a heated verbal argument between father and son took place there. Authorities have not commented publicly on that reported dispute, and no official motive has been released.
The deaths of Rob Reiner, 78, a director and actor known for works including "Stand By Me," "The Princess Bride" and "When Harry Met Sally...," and Michele Singer Reiner, 68, a producer, photographer and LGBTQ rights advocate, have prompted an outpouring of condolences from across Hollywood and political circles. The investigation remains active, and prosecutors have emphasized that Nick Reiner is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.