Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood, California home on December 14, 2025. Their son Nick Reiner, 32, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances.
This is a case that's going to require us to watch carefully. A Hollywood legend. A family torn apart by addiction. A system that will have to navigate questions about mental health, substance abuse, and what happens when parents can't save their child from himself.
The Key Players
Rob Reiner
Victim, 78 | Director, Actor
Michele Singer Reiner
Victim, 70 | Producer, Photographer
Nick Reiner
Defendant, 32 | Screenwriter
Romy Reiner
Daughter, 27 | Discovered bodies
Alan Jackson
Defense Attorney
Nathan Hochman
LA County District Attorney
Background: A Family's Struggle
Before we get to the events of that December weekend, you need to understand the years that led there. Nick Reiner has been public about his addiction since he was a teenager. First rehab at 15. By his own count, he'd been in and out of facilities at least 17 times over the following years. Homeless in Maine. Homeless in New Jersey. Homeless in Texas. Weeks sleeping on streets because he refused the programs his parents kept sending him to.
In 2015, Nick and Rob collaborated on "Being Charlie," a semi-autobiographical film about a young man's addiction and his turbulent relationship with his famous father. The movie was supposed to be therapeutic. Cathartic. A way for father and son to understand each other.
In interviews at the time, Rob expressed regret: "When Nick would tell us that it wasn't working for him, we wouldn't listen. We were desperate, and because the people had diplomas on their wall, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son."
By 2018, Nick was back to using. On the "Dopey" podcast, he described punching out things in his parents' guesthouse while "spun out on uppers." He talked about having a cocaine-induced heart attack on a cross-country flight. The darkness was returning.
As recently as September 2025, the family appeared together at the "Spinal Tap II" premiere. Nick stood with his parents and siblings on the red carpet. He wasn't smiling.
Sources say Rob and Michele told friends in recent months they were "at their wits' end" with Nick's mental health and alleged substance abuse. Michele reportedly said to friends: "We've tried everything."
The Timeline
Saturday, December 13, 2025
EVENING
Rob, Michele, and Nick Reiner attend a Christmas party at comedian Conan O'Brien's home in Los Angeles. According to sources, the Reiners asked if they could bring Nick to "keep an eye on him."
AT THE PARTY
Multiple sources report Nick exhibited "antisocial behavior," including staring at guests and repeatedly asking people the same questions: "What's your name? What's your last name? Are you famous?" Comedian Bill Hader was reportedly approached by Nick and when Hader indicated the conversation was private, Nick allegedly stood and stared before being asked to leave.
AT THE PARTY
Rob and Nick get into a "very loud argument," overheard by multiple guests. Sources say Rob told his son his behavior was inappropriate. Rob and Michele leave the party. It's unclear if Nick left with them.
Sunday, December 14, 2025
APPROX. 4:00 AM
Surveillance footage shows Nick walking on the Santa Monica Pier toward the Pierside Santa Monica hotel.
APPROX. 4:15 AM
Nick checks into the Pierside Santa Monica hotel using his own credit card. Witnesses say he seemed "tweaked out" but showed no visible signs of blood or injuries. He is carrying a black backpack and wearing a hat.
"EARLY MORNING HOURS"
According to prosecutors, Rob and Michele Reiner are fatally stabbed "in approximately the early morning hours of December 14" at their Brentwood home. The exact time has not been disclosed.
LATER SUNDAY MORNING
Hotel staff enter Nick's room after he never formally checked out. They discover the shower "full of blood" and blood on the bed. The window was covered with bed sheets.
AFTERNOON
A massage therapist scheduled to work with Rob and Michele arrives at the Brentwood home and cannot get an answer at the gate. They contact the family.
APPROX. 3:00 PM
Romy Reiner, who lives across the street from her parents, goes to check on them with her roommate. She enters the home and discovers her father's body in the master bedroom. She runs outside and tells her roommate to call 911. At this point, she reportedly does not realize her mother is also dead.
APPROX. 3:00 PM
Romy calls family friend Billy Crystal, who rushes to the scene with his wife. Reports indicate Crystal saw the bodies.
3:38 PM
Los Angeles Fire Department responds to a medical aid call at the 200 block of Chadbourne Avenue. Victims initially identified as a man, 78, and woman, 68.
3:40 PM
LAPD officers arrive at the Brentwood residence. Death investigation begins, then escalates to murder investigation.
7:30 PM
Senior law enforcement sources confirm to ABC News that the victims were stabbed to death.
APPROX. 9:00 PM
Surveillance footage captures Nick at an ARCO gas station near USC. He is wearing a black hat, dark long-sleeved shirt, and carrying a red backpack (different from the black one seen earlier). He enters the store, walks around, and purchases a Gatorade with a credit card.
9:00 PM
Reiner family releases statement confirming Rob and Michele's deaths.
9:15 PM
LAPD locates Nick Reiner near USC at the intersection of Exposition Boulevard and Vermont Avenue, approximately 15 miles from his parents' home. Surveillance footage shows multiple police vehicles surrounding him as he walks across the street. He raises his hands and is arrested without incident.
Monday, December 15, 2025
APPROX. 1:00 AM
LAPD Robbery-Homicide detective arrives at the Pierside Santa Monica hotel to search Nick's room (Room 207), telling staff he was looking for a possible murder weapon and evidence Nick may have "cleaned up."
5:04 AM
Nick Reiner booked on murder charges. He is later moved to Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles.
9:00 AM
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell confirms Nick's arrest at a press conference, stating Robbery Homicide Division "worked throughout the night" and determined Nick was "responsible" for his parents' deaths.
EVENING
Michelle Obama, appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, reveals she and Barack Obama were supposed to meet Rob and Michele for dinner on the day they were found dead.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
1:00 PM
LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announces charges against Nick Reiner at a press conference.
3:00 PM
Charges formally filed: Two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstance of multiple murders, plus special allegation that he personally used a deadly weapon (knife).
AFTERNOON
Defense attorney Alan Jackson confirms he has been retained to represent Nick. Jackson previously represented Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and Karen Read. He tells reporters Nick has "not been medically cleared" to appear in court.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
MORNING
Nick Reiner makes his first court appearance at Los Angeles Superior Court. He appears wearing a blue anti-suicide vest with no shirt underneath. His hands and feet are shackled. He appears quiet and calm.
IN COURT
Nick waives his right to a speedy arraignment, saying only "Yes, your honor" when addressed by the judge. No plea entered. Arraignment postponed to January 7, 2026. He is ordered held without bail.
AFTER COURT
Defense attorney Alan Jackson speaks to press: "There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case." He asks for the system to "move forward in the way that it was designed... not with a rush to judgment."
AFTERNOON
LA County Medical Examiner confirms cause of death for both victims: "Multiple sharp force injuries."
AFTERNOON
Jake and Romy Reiner release joint statement: "Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren't just our parents; they were our best friends."
CHARGES FILED
Count 1: First-Degree Murder (Rob Reiner)
Count 2: First-Degree Murder (Michele Singer Reiner)
Special Circumstance: Multiple Murders
Special Allegation: Personal use of deadly weapon (knife)
Maximum Sentence: Life in prison without possibility of parole, or death penalty. The DA's office has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.
Key Questions Going Forward
This case is going to be about more than just what happened in that Brentwood home. Here's what I'm watching for:
The timeline question: When exactly did the murders occur? Nick was at the hotel at 4:15 AM with no visible blood. The hotel room was full of blood when staff found it. What happened between the party and that hotel check-in?
The mental health question: DA Hochman has already signaled that Nick's mental health will likely be central to this case. Alan Jackson called this a case with "very complex and serious issues." Are we headed for a mental health defense?
The evidence question: What physical evidence connects Nick to the murders? The hotel room blood. The murder weapon, if recovered. DNA. The prosecution says they'll present the knife evidence in court. What else do they have?
The substance abuse question: Was Nick using again? Multiple sources describe him as "tweaked out" at the hotel, acting "oddly" at the party. What was his state of mind?
The death penalty question: Hochman says no decision has been made. Will the DA seek death? Will the family's wishes influence that decision?
What's Next
January 7, 2026: Nick Reiner's arraignment at Los Angeles Superior Court.
This timeline will be updated as new information emerges. Stay with Justice Is A Process for complete coverage.
Nick Reiner is charged, not convicted. Under our system, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. That presumption is what separates us from the mob. It's what my father spent his career defending. Whatever happened in that house, whatever mental state Nick was in, he deserves the same constitutional protections as anyone else. That's not sympathy. That's the law.