Rob Reiner’s son, Nick Reiner, was charged Tuesday with two counts of first-degree murder for his parents’ slayings, which stunned their communities in Hollywood and Democratic politics, where both were widely beloved.
Nick Reiner, 32, is charged with the murder of actor and director Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced at a news conference with Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell.
“Their loss is beyond tragic and we will be committed to bringing their killer to justice,” Hochman said.
To the two counts of first-degree murder, prosecutors added special circumstances of multiple murders and a specific allegation that the defendant used a dangerous weapon, a knife. The additions could mean a heavier sentence.
Hochman said his office has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty in the case.
“This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal, not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones but for our entire city,” McDonnell said. “We will continue to support the Reiner family and ensure that every step forward is taken with care, dignity and determination.”
The announcement came two days after the couple was found dead from apparent stab wounds in their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood, west of Los Angeles. Nick Reiner did not resist when he was arrested hours later in the Exposition Park area near the University of Southern California, about 14 miles from the crime scene, police said.
Reiner was scheduled to make his first court appearance earlier Tuesday, but his attorney, Alan Jackson, said he was not brought from the jail to the courthouse for medical reasons and his appearance would not take place until Wednesday.
An email sent to Nick Reiner’s attorney, Alan Jackson, seeking comment on the charges was not immediately responded to.
Nick Reiner has not yet entered a plea. He was not brought to the courthouse from jail Tuesday for unspecified health reasons, and his first appearance before a judge was postponed until Wednesday.
Rob Reiner was the Emmy Award-winning star of the sitcom “All in the Family” who went on to direct films including “When Harry Met Sally…” and “The Princess Bride.” He was an outspoken liberal activist for decades. Michele Singer Reiner was a photographer, film producer, and LGBTQ+ rights advocate. They had been married for 36 years.
Representatives for the Reiner family did not respond to requests for comment. Police have said nothing about the motive for the killings.
Nick Reiner is being held in jail without bail. He was arrested several hours after his parents were found dead Sunday in their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, police said.
Jackson, the defendant’s attorney, is a high-profile attorney who represented Harvey Weinstein during his trial in Los Angeles and Karen Read during her trial in Massachusetts. He was a central figure in the HBO documentary on the Read case.
Investigators believe Rob and Michele Singer Reiner died from stab wounds, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official, who was briefed on the investigation, could not publicly discuss the details and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
The murders were particularly shocking given the family’s comedic and heartwarming heritage. Rob Reiner was the son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, who died in 2020 at age 98.
Kathy Bates, who won an Oscar as the star of Rob Reiner’s 1990 film “Misery,” was among those who paid tribute to the couple.
“I loved Rob,” Bates said in a statement. “He was a brilliant and kind man, who made films of all genres to challenge himself as an artist. He also fought courageously for his political beliefs. He changed the course of my life. Michele was a gifted photographer.”
Bill Clinton called the couple “good and generous people who made everyone who knew them better.”
“Hillary and I are heartbroken by the tragic deaths of our friends Rob and Michele Reiner,” he said in a statement. “They have inspired and uplifted millions of people through their work in film and television.”
Three months ago, Nick Reiner was photographed with his parents and siblings at the premiere of his father’s film “Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues.”
He had spoken publicly about his struggles with addiction, going in and out of treatment centers with bouts of homelessness in between during his teenage years. Rob and Nick Reiner explored – and seemed to improve – their relationship through the making of the 2016 film, “Being Charlie.”
Nick Reiner co-wrote and Rob Reiner directed the film about the struggles of a drug-addicted son and a famous father. It was not autobiographical but included several elements of their lives.
“It forced us to understand each other better,” Rob Reiner told the AP in 2016. “I told Nick while we were doing it, I said, ‘You know, it doesn’t matter, whatever happens to this thing, we’ve already won.'”
Rob Reiner has long been one of Hollywood’s most prolific directors, and his work included some of the most memorable and endlessly watchable films of the 1980s and 1990s, including “This is Spinal Tap” and “A Few Good Men.”
He met Michele Singer Reiner on the set of “When Harry Met Sally…” and their meeting would inspire the film’s move toward a happy ending, with stars Billy Crystal – one of Reiner’s closest friends for decades – and Meg Ryan ending up together on New Year’s Eve.
The Reiners were ardent supporters of liberal causes and major Democratic donors.
President Donald Trump on Monday blamed the actor-director’s murder on Rob Reiner’s open opposition to the president, making the unsubstantiated claim in a social media post that appeared to want to decry his opponents, even in the face of tragedy.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
