CA - Murder victims Identified as Rob Reiner and wife Michele - LA Dec 14 2025

[Chimera]

Am hoping that the outcome of the trial -- if there is one, maybe he'll take a plea deal ? -- will be life without parole.
Nick had access to resources to live away from his parents if he wanted to, they might have even paid for a condo for him ?
No excuses.

His parents had (presumably) paid for him to go to multiple rehabs, he could have tried to pull himself out of his hole and looked for a way to eventually support himself.
It wouldn't have to be in the entertainment career either.

I can imagine the 'reasons' his atty. will come up with ?
Imo, no excuse for what Nick did.
Omo.

 

[Cedars]

BBM

I've heard that people who are in the throes of addiction for a long time can often seem to be emotionally 'stuck' at the age they were when they first became addicted, which IIRC for Nick would be about 14

I've heard that too, and it makes sense to me.

Every time the person faces the inevitable and innumerable growing pains to become mature, they instantly turn to drugs to escape. Imagine if, every time a teen felt nervous, challenged, disappointed, they take a drug and never learn how to cope ie grow up.

JMO

 

[ttjo]

I also agree with many posters who feel that Nick was very resentful of his parents. Not that we know for sure, but episodes of resentment have been documented above, and his out-of-control behavior in front of his parents’ friends at Conan’s house would seem to indicate as much.

IMO it’s such a misplaced anger. Rob himself grew up with a very famous father and emulated him by also becoming a comedian, and an actor and director as well.


I like Bill Hader and I pray he doesn’t spend the rest of his life thinking he set Nick off to the degree that he went on to murder his parents.

I sure hope not, there is years of history of bad behavior. What Ive watched it felt like this kid was on red aletrt for things to use as an excuse to set himself off, anything, to use to emotionally extort his parents then try make them look/ feel bad.
He had no discretion, as seen in that being Charlie interview when he said to his dad “ you didnt say my screenplay was good, you basically said it was trash” he wanted to portray his dad as the bad guy. Like his own behavior was justified because he was so hard done by.
This whole thing makes me sick, how 2 people who brought bright light to this world , who truly had huge impact with his happy movies, could be taken out so easily.
This was a cumulation of things, drug induced state of some sort, (high tweaking whatever) ego, entitlement, low impulse control and an insatiable appetite for attention while pushing people away.. I honestly think if his parents told him to bring a sweater and it turned out to be a warm night, that would have set him off too.

 

[Same Old Stella]

Just heard the Los Angeles DA give a press conference. So it seems California brought back the death penalty, though it hasn't been used since 2006.

 

[iamshadow21]

Nick Reiner is calling in the heavies after being arrested for allegedly murdering his famous parents ... because Alan Jackson tells us Nick hired him as his defense attorney.

Alan is one of the best criminal defense attorneys out there, and he's no stranger to high-profile cases like this one ... he recently got Karen Read acquitted of murder in Massachusetts.

Nick Reiner Hires Defense Attorney Alan Jackson in Parents' Murder Case

Nick Reiner is calling in the heavies after being arrested for allegedly murdering his famous parents ... because Alan Jackson tells us Nick hired him as his defense attorney.

www.tmz.com

Well, he won't be able to claim ineffective counsel. Alan Jackson is a truly brilliant attorney who will do his absolute best for Nick. I sincerely doubt even he will get Nick acquitted, but he'll make the prosecution toe the line and show all their work. He understands both sides because he's worked both sides, and excelled at it.

MOO

 

[Recidivist]

Just heard the Los Angeles DA give a press conference. So it seems California brought back the death penalty, though it hasn't been used since 2006.

Not exactly. California's death chamber no longer exists. It was torn down. While the death penalty is still on the books, even if so sentenced, would not be permitted. imo

 

[SMK777]

It's ironic that he murdered his parents most likely over losing freedom and drugs, and yet prison will be the ultimate loss of these things.

 

[LinasK]

Am hoping that the outcome of the trial -- if there is one, maybe he'll take a plea deal ? -- will be life without parole.
Nick had access to resources to live away from his parents if he wanted to, they might have even paid for a condo for him ?
No excuses.

His parents had (presumably) paid for him to go to multiple rehabs, he could have tried to pull himself out of his hole and looked for a way to eventually support himself.
It wouldn't have to be in the entertainment career either.

I can imagine the 'reasons' his atty. will come up with ?
Imo, no excuse for what Nick did.
Omo.

I don't see a reason to offer a plea deal. Seems like a slam dunk case, they don't need the location of the bodies, and CA has a moratorium on the Death Penalty, so what's the point?

 

[LinasK]

Not exactly. California's death chamber no longer exists. It was torn down. While the death penalty is still on the books, even if so sentenced, would not be permitted. imo

Didn't know that, but Scott Peterson was moved off Death Row and out of San Quentin.

 

[Cindizzi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2001041438235140397

 

[Recidivist]

From the article:

Rob, they say, was dead. But Michele, they say, was alive enough to tell Romy that it was her brother, Nick, who’d tried to kill them.

“He left us here for dead,” the source says Michelle told Romy.

That would explain why almost instantly it was reported that the stabbings were the work of a family member.

I think it would be difficult to speak after having your throat slit. imo

 

[iamshadow21]

Respectfully disagree on one point. It was Nick who wrote the screenplay and brought it to his dad. RR helped get a suitable co-writer and used his directorial skills to bring the film to fruition.

I wasn't talking about the screenplay. I was talking about the book.

MOO

 

[Cedars]

I don't see a reason to offer a plea deal. Seems like a slam dunk case, they don't need the location of the bodies, and CA has a moratorium on the Death Penalty, so what's the point?

There was no advantage to Idaho to acccept a plea deal with Kohberger, either.

But the family might prefer not to have their private life dragged through a trial - and trials are very expensive in money and court time.

And there's something emotionally satisfying about a confession.

JMO

 

[MistyWaters]

Am hoping that the outcome of the trial -- if there is one, maybe he'll take a plea deal ? -- will be life without parole.
Nick had access to resources to live away from his parents if he wanted to, they might have even paid for a condo for him ?
No excuses.

His parents had (presumably) paid for him to go to multiple rehabs, he could have tried to pull himself out of his hole and looked for a way to eventually support himself.
It wouldn't have to be in the entertainment career either.

I can imagine the 'reasons' his atty. will come up with ?
Imo, no excuse for what Nick did.
Omo.

It doesn’t seem to be a question if N is guilty of murdering his parents and so reasons won’t matter for the guilt phase of a trial. In fact if an attorney were to introduce reasons his client murdered two people he’d be proclaiming him Guilty as Charged!

Mitigating or aggravating factors (aka reasons) ) come into play during the sentencing phase when determining the most appropriate sentence to fit the crime. Given his privledge in life, I’d be surprised if any would be considered valid. His parents forcing him to go with them to C O’Briens Xmas party would hardly be a convincing argument for having endured cruelty, pain or suffering.
JMO

 

[Izzylizzy]

This was live when there was a presser

 

[steeltowngirl]

I think it would be difficult to speak after having your throat slit. imo

Could be difficult. May not be impossible. Depends on the location of the cut. I believe the jugular is on the side, larynx is near the front of the throat.

 

[Little Jack]

I think it would be difficult to speak after having your throat slit. imo

I hope this report is false. But i did see a program about a girl who survived having her throat cut. A man came in the window at a slumber party and killed her friend then cut her throat and left. She ran out of the house to a neighbor and was able to get help and speak.

What I dont understand would be if you could survive long enough and were able to speak why would you then die later once you've reached help? Id think blood loss would be the deciding factor and you wouldn't keep losing blood at the hospital.

Sorry for such grisly speculation. I do sincerely hope this is a false report as I said above.

 

[steeltowngirl]

I hope this report is false. But i did see a program about a girl who survived having her throat cut. A man came in the window at a slumber party and killed her friend then cut her throat and left. She ran out of the house to a neighbor and was able to get help and speak.

What I dont understand would be if you could survive long enough and were able to speak why would you then die later once you've reached help? Id think blood loss would be the deciding factor and you wouldn't keep losing blood at the hospital.

Sorry for such grisly speculation. I do sincerely hope this is a false report as I said above.

Yes, there seem to be conflicting stories in MSM.

New details suggest that legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were dead for hours before their bodies were discovered, insiders say.

Rigor mortis “appeared to have set in” by the time the couple’s daughter, Romy, arrived to find their bodies mangled and their throats slit on Sunday afternoon, sources told TMZ.

The grisly scene was described as a “nightmare” and the work of a “madman.”

New Details Reveal Likely Timeline of Reiners’ Grisly Killing

The famed filmmaker’s son has been officially charged with murder.

www.thedailybeast.com

 

[Gemmie]

I think it would be difficult to speak after having your throat slit. imo

I don't know that we know this. Yes, it's in "MSM" (mostly tabloid-type rags IMO).

With that said, in the presser the DA of LA County Nathan Hochman said this:

"You will hear in the media... rumors. You will hear speculation. You will hear hearsay. What I'm asking everyone to do is to rely on trusted sources. If it doesn't come from the District Attorney's office, from LAPD, from the Coroner's Office, or from the courtroom itself, there is a good chance you are hearing misinformation. Because at the appropriate time the actual evidence involved in this case will be presented in a court of law. So I ask for your patience until that is done, but again, please do not rely on rank speculation, rumor or hearsay, to believe that you understand anything about what went on with this case."

Cued up:

ETA - Left out the word "not" as in "do not rely on rank speculation". Made that change!

 

[Recidivist]

Oh no, not AJ again with his third-party culprit defense strategy! With all due respect for his work, of course. But... three times in a year.?!

MOO JMO

There is nothing to suggest what the defense strategy will be. <Modsnip: Off topic to this case>

My opinion is that the estate has hired Jackson, not to get Nick off, but to ensure that as he moves through the justice system, his rights are protected, and an attempt to get him some mental health treatment. To lose respect for Jackson, as I read in this thread is unfortunate. Without defense, we have no system of justice. imo.