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

[Gemmie]

To be clear, the hour 1545 translates to 3:45 pm-- which is the date and time that EMS reportedly arrived at the Reiner residence after receiving the 911 call from RR's roommate. It's also been reported that the bodies were already in rigor mortis when found.

A body gets stiff (rigor mortis) starting around 2-6 hours after death, beginning in small muscles like the face and hands, becoming fully stiff within 8-12 hours, and then gradually relaxing within 24-48 hours as decomposition starts, with factors like temperature significantly affecting the timeline.

I realize that (I know how to read military time and know they use the time found (FND) as they can't possibly know an exact time). What I was pointing out was they listed her TOD 1 minute after his. I also found it interesting that they didn't include FND on Michele's certificate.

 

[LinasK]

Emphasis mine.
Agreed.
I feel it was incredibly difficult to consider having N.R. permanently institutionalized until he was properly treated and healed -- if he kept fighting back at their suggestions ?
Also nearly impossible to get an adult 5150'd if it's against their will.
Your last sentence and second bolded, was a wonderful suggestion !
Imo.

You can get them 5150'd if they are threatening violence. It's an involuntary 72 hour psychiatric hold. I think Nick's behavior at the party qualified. It's a shame that Conan O'Brien discouraged his party guests from calling the police.

 

[carolmaria]

I'm not sure no one wakes up one morning and decides to kill their parents--- I am past trying to understand an evil action like slitting your parents' throats--- That such an act resided in this person, perhaps for years, only he didn't act on it prior to this time. A person can be mentally ill and EVIL. I think he was jealous of his father, feeling he could never live up to what his father was- and resentment built up over years and years. His parents did everything they thought would help him-- they didn't know he was unreachable--- I am not ready to believe all of his actions that day were due to drugs. He was very angry at his father- so why did he kill his mother? I guess he hated her too---

Yes, yes, yes.
AKA (or another way of putting it), possibly severe antisocial personality disorder (mixed in with other mental diagnoses, exacerbated by addiction), IMO.

Yep, and as said elsewhere, longer-term hospitalizations while tweaking antipsychotic meds used to be a lot more common.

Extreme lack of empathy. Little regard for the dignity and safety of other human beings. Then not only the potential, but also the *actual act* of brutally destroying his parents.

The self-centeredness and seething resentment. A tragedy waiting to happen, for sure.

Even with ten years of allied health work with people residing in psychiatric institutions (most of whom were lovely), I don’t hesitate to call this evil.

And for the perpetrator to not have a snowball’s chance of getting out, ever.

AJ notwithstanding.

IMO.

 

[ilovewings]

Yes, yes, yes.
AKA (or another way of putting it), possibly severe antisocial personality disorder (mixed in with other mental diagnoses, exacerbated by addiction), IMO.

Yep, and as said elsewhere, longer-term hospitalizations while tweaking antipsychotic meds used to be a lot more common.

Extreme lack of empathy. Little regard for the dignity and safety of other human beings. Then not only the potential, but also the *actual act* of brutally destroying his parents.

The self-centeredness and seething resentment. A tragedy waiting to happen, for sure.

But even with ten years of allied health work with people residing in psychiatric institutions (most of whom were lovely), I don’t hesitate to call this evil.

And for the perpetrator to not have a snowball’s chance of getting out, ever.

AJ notwithstanding.

IMO.90

Seething resentment----that is the key----all those years building up a rage---

 

[Seattle1]

Jeez, sounds just so nonchalant... so yeah one day I felt like trying heroin - one of the most addictive drugs and hardest to kick. NR sounded bored with life even back then.

Maybe it's just me, but I find it a little deviant/perverse that NR would reach out to someone who was in a rehab with him. What if that kid took rehab serious and was clean? Just show up and tempt the kid to get him heroin knowing very well that kid might relapse?

I get NR says "he was into heroin at the time" but I wonder if that's even true or if he cared the kid was clean? I'm sure NR knew in Hollywood where to get it. Why involve an ex-rehab buddy?

I get this might be common if you meet someone in rehab and you're both not into it, but for some reason that sounds super selfish of NR to me JMO MOO

IMO, waiting until age 18 to indulge in heroin was strategic by NR. He was certainly no fool in regards to voluntary vs involuntary treatment. Also, an addict thinks of nobody but themselves and their desire to 'get high.' No surprise he contacted somebody he deemed was 'connected' and trusted.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

I realize that (I know how to read military time and know they use the time found (FND) as they can't possibly know an exact time). What I was pointing out was they listed her TOD 1 minute after his. I also found it interesting that they didn't include FND on Michele's certificate.

That's a good mysterious nugget bugging me too. Were they maybe not found together? So RR discovered first and maybe MR was in another room and found one minute later?

They should be able to determine exact time of death for both, no? They can do this by stomach contents and other means I think in other cases? Or if someone was wearing a smart watch, etc.

 

[ktm44]

Bbm.
Agreed.
Esp. the bolded.
This mention of his meds being changed and not helping NR's recent diagnosis of schizophrenia came up after the murders.
The blame is not with the criminal in that case, the blame is with whatever doctor prescribed the meds, then ?
Why now ?
Imo.

I think it would be difficult to prove the doctor was negligent by changing his meds and it's not uncommon.

I'm sure toxicology testing has been done but we actually don't know that he was even taking his meds and nor do we know if he was mixing them with street drugs or alcohol and neither would be encouraged by any doctor.

I did not read the his diagnosis for schizophrenia was recent and only that it was recently made public.

 

[LinasK]

I think it would be difficult to prove the doctor was negligent by changing his meds and it's not uncommon.

I'm sure toxicology testing has been done but we actually don't know that he was even taking his meds and nor do we know if he was mixing them with street drugs or alcohol and neither would be encouraged by any doctor.

I did not read the his diagnosis for schizophrenia was recent and only that it was recently made public.

Couldn't the doctor have ordered an inpatient hospital stay for observation though while his meds were changing???

 

[Lalalacasbah]

IMO, waiting until age 18 to indulge in heroin was strategic by NR. He was certainly no fool in regards to voluntary vs involuntary treatment. Also, an addict thinks of nobody but themselves and their desire to 'get high.' No surprise he contacted somebody he deemed was 'connected' and trusted.

Very true and good insight/interesting observation about the age indeed.

I still think kind of a jerk move to reach out to the rehab kid, not sure why that just irks me. I guess I feel like someone like NR has money, connections, options galore likely and could've found it regardless through his associations. But chooses a kid who may have not had money/privileged background (wild guess on my part and could be wrong) and went to skid row to do it the first time. Seems deviant/perverse to me.

Sounds like NR wanted to experience 'roughing it' or what's the term? "Slumming" (not trying to be rude, this is my interpretation of what I get from NR... I get a feeling NR maybe enjoyed rock bottoms, surrounding himself around street people if he maybe saw himself as a fringe type person like them and found the Hollywood scene fake, unbearable and inauthentic). MOO JMO

 

[Gemmie]

That's a good mysterious nugget bugging me too. Were they maybe not found together? So RR discovered first and maybe MR was in another room and found one minute later?

They should be able to determine exact time of death for both, no? They can do this by stomach contents and other means I think in other cases? Or if someone was wearing a smart watch, etc.

I think exact time would be difficult unless they were wearing an Apple watch or something that would show when your heart stopped. But I'm sure they can get rather close with all the data they have.

 

[Chimera]

Seething resentment----that is the key----all those years building up a rage---

Exactly !

Again my .02 ; NR's rage was against his parents.
Not the doctors who prescribed his meds.
Not the rehab stays nor the employees working there.
Not his siblings.
Not his drug dealer or 'friends' he indulged with while in his homeless phases.

Just his mom and dad.
Telling in that his misplaced anger and self-centered narcissism blamed the two people who cared and had tried to help him.
Awful.
Now they're gone forever out of his life, and NR has no one to blame except himself.
Imo.

 

[Chimera]

I think it would be difficult to prove the doctor was negligent by changing his meds and it's not uncommon.

I'm sure toxicology testing has been done but we actually don't know that he was even taking his meds and nor do we know if he was mixing them with street drugs or alcohol and neither would be encouraged by any doctor.

I did not read the his diagnosis for schizophrenia was recent and only that it was recently made public.

Oh, I'm not blaming the doctors in this, and could have worded it differently.
It wouldn't be surprising if his defense atty. does, though.

To clarify; this is such an egregious case and even somewhat simple.
A man filled with anger selfishly killed his parents for no discernible reason.

But I'm guessing his lawyer may blame everyone BUT Nick.
There's no other way Alan Jackson can expect for a chance of an acquittal.
He certainly can't say something to the effect of : "Nick is responsible for the deaths of Rob and Michele."
Think how that would sound ?
Alan J. will most likely try to take the focus off of Nick and place the blame elsewhere, if this comes to trial.
Imo.

 

[Arkay]

I still think kind of a jerk move to reach out to the rehab kid, not sure why that just irks me. I guess I feel like someone like NR has money, connections, options galore likely and could've found it regardless through his associations. But chooses a kid who may have not had money/privileged background (wild guess on my part and could be wrong) and went to skid row to do it the first time. Seems deviant/perverse to me.

Sounds like NR wanted to experience 'roughing it' or what's the term? "Slumming" (not trying to be rude, this is my interpretation of what I get from NR... I get a feeling NR maybe enjoyed rock bottoms, surrounding himself around street people if he maybe saw himself as a fringe type person like them and found the Hollywood scene fake, unbearable and inauthentic). MOO JMO

I wonder if perhaps he felt very inferior to the rest of his family, and tried to find some shady characters to whom he could feel superior?

Not consciously perhaps, but he appeared to recognize that he was the problem child, the bad seed, in a family of two generations of wildly talented and famous people. And in his own generation, while his siblings weren’t famous, they were not problematic.

Or conversely, he didn’t see himself as superior to “Skid Row” types, but felt he had found his tribe, so to speak, and felt more comfortable and at home with them than with his family and all the very famous family friends.

Sheer speculation on my part.

 

[Luna20]

Disregard if posted.



“Police had been responding to disturbances at Rob and Michele Reiner's Los Angelesmansion for over a decade – long before the Hollywood legend and his wife were found dead inside their home, the Daily Mail can reveal.

LAPD records obtained by the Daily Mail show officers were called to the family's $13.5 million Brentwood property at least six times: in 2013, 2014, 2017, twice in 2019, and on December 14, the day the Reiners were killed..

The 'calls for service' were for incidents ranging from alleged family violence to welfare and mental health checks”

Police were called repeatedly to Rob Reiner's home before killings

LAPD records obtained by the Daily Mail show police were called to the Reiners' $13.5 million property several times.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[LinasK]

I wonder if perhaps he felt very inferior to the rest of his family, and tried to find some shady characters to whom he could feel superior?

Not consciously perhaps, but he appeared to recognize that he was the problem child, the bad seed, in a family of two generations of wildly talented and famous people. And in his own generation, while his siblings weren’t famous, they were not problematic.

Or conversely, he didn’t see himself as superior to “Skid Row” types, but felt he had found his tribe, so to speak, and felt more comfortable and at home with them than with his family and all the very famous family friends.

Sheer speculation on my part.

Still, in spite of all that, he felt no need to prove himself, make his mark on the world in a positive way, find a job... seems all he wanted to do was the freedom to do drugs and live at home and upset people.

 

[Recidivist]

You can get them 5150'd if they are threatening violence. It's an involuntary 72 hour psychiatric hold. I think Nick's behavior at the party qualified. It's a shame that Conan O'Brien discouraged his party guests from calling the police.

They called for urgent help with a mentally ill loved one. Why California police refused​

“Law enforcement officers are not trained mental health professionals,” Cooper announced in a news conference a month later. “We wear the badge; we carry the gun. We deal with crime – not mental health crises.” When his department responds to calls that do involve crimes, he added, they will be treated as a “major event” — suggesting they might result in arrest rather than transport for care under the 5150 code. Cooper has called the change a “hard reset” — one he knew would be controversial.

Starting early last year, though, Susanna noticed that law enforcement “seemed more disinterested in those calls.” Then, as another crisis unfolded Feb. 7, the Sheriff’s Department made it clear they would not be coming out at all.

The 911 audio and a summary log lay out the scene: Susanna’s husband was trying to sleep when the daughter, who was on probation, barged into the bedroom just before midnight, spit in his face, and “threatened to stab me and kill me.” A dispatcher asked if the daughter had “mental health issues;” the husband said she did.

A call log states that they discussed the girl’s “extensive” mental health issues and history of assault as the screaming and pounding continued. The supervisor then suggested the couple stay in the locked bedroom. “No crime,” the call log concludes. Sacramento Sheriff’s Office “not responding.”

They called for urgent help with a mentally ill loved one. Why California police refused

This article is very long, but it describes the difficulties of a 5150. It's not easy, usually impossible, here in California.

 

[Kapua]

Wouldn't his diagnosis change things though? I mean, if he wasn't of sound mind, doesn’t that change the legality of his actions and therefore punishment?

The diagnosis could potentially affect the type of facility in which he will be incarcerated. For example, there's the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, CA. Charles Manson was one of their most infamous prisoners.

 

[detective.moon]

Thank you, @SaraSmile.

It has long helped me to keep my perspective. A boring day is a day without tragedy, terror, or other evils, and is therefore a good day.

When this Holocaust survivor said this in her speech, I really was struck by what she’d seen and endured and lost, and how a boring day is actually wonderful.

Wouldn't it have been a good day had Rob and Michele just awoken like any other day, and had there been no problems with Nick at the party the evening before.

We can only futilely wish for it to have been a boring day.

Imo

from the cnn article about michele i learned that her mother was a holocaust survivor too - the only one in het family to survive auschwitz

“Michele Reiner’s strength was inherited.

When her mother Nicole Bernheim Silberkleit was 17, she and ten relatives were taken to the Drancy internment camp outside Paris and then, a week later, were loaded into cattle cars to Poland, she recounted in a 2001 news article. Bernheim Silberkleit was the only person in her family to leave Auschwitz alive, her brother and parents among those who died.

“My mother is the most incredible person,” Michele Reiner said in an emotional testimony captured by USC’s Shoah Foundation in 1994. “She’s very strong.”

Michele Reiner and her family traveled to Strasbourg in northeastern France in 2023 to unveil four concrete blocks outside her mother’s family’s last home as part of the Stolpersteine project to commemorate victims of Nazi atrocities.

“It was powerful to have my whole family there to remember this moment,” Michele wrote on Instagram, a somber post amid many photos of her kids — Jake, Nick and Romy.

“As my son Jake said, ‘Her will to live is the reason I’m alive.’”

here is a clip of michele and her mother

USC Shoah Foundation on Instagram: "We remember film producer Michele Singer Reiner and director Rob Reiner, friends of the USC Shoah Foundation. Michele’s mother, Holocaust survivor Nicole Silberkleit, recorded her testimony with us in our foundin

83K likes, 1,126 comments - uscshoahfoundation on December 17, 2025: "We remember film producer Michele Singer Reiner and director Rob Reiner, friends of the USC Shoah Foundation. Michele’s mother, Holocaust survivor Nicole Silberkleit, recorded her testimony with us in our founding year of...

www.instagram.com

and the whole article about michele

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/19/entertainment/michele-reiner-tribute-rob-reiner

 

[katydid23]

Couldn't the doctor have ordered an inpatient hospital stay for observation though while his meds were changing???

It's VERY hard to get that approved because changing medications need to be observed for from one to three weeks at the very least. It takes awhile to see if they will have a positive or negative effect. The cost of 'in hospital' stays are so egregious. Spending weeks in-house just to tweak a prescription is not usually going to be approved. There are very few available beds in most mental health clinics these days.

 

[katydid23]

Wouldn't his diagnosis change things though? I mean, if he wasn't of sound mind, doesn’t that change the legality of his actions and therefore punishment?

I think it's more complicated than that. If someone uses hard drugs for over 15 years of their life, they can easily begin showing symptoms which mimic schizophrenia. In other words, it's not necessarily true that they were suffering from an onset of the mental health disease. It is quite possible they were suffering from meth induced psychosis---which looks like schizophrenia.

And if so, if it was a drug induced psychosis, then they cannot legally use that as a defense. That is self inflicted. Just like trying to use being drunk as an excuse for rape or assault. It's not legally possible.

Personally, I am leaning more towards his mental state being the result of his many years of hard drugs and his decades of anger and resentment towards his parents and their desire for him to get clean. imo