Los Angeles authorities are revealing new details in the shocking deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner, while their son, Nick Reiner, faces two first-degree murder charges and an upcoming court date that could determine the rest of his life.
According to Fox News, the couple was discovered dead in the primary bedroom of their Brentwood home on Dec. 14. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined both victims died from multiple sharp force injuries. Their deaths were officially ruled homicides.
Assistant Police Chief Dominic Choi confirmed the details Tuesday during a report to the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners. He identified their son, 32-year-old Nick Reiner, as the suspect.
Nick appeared in court on Wednesday for the first time following his arrest. Wearing a blue suicide prevention vest, he responded quietly when asked by a judge if he waived his rights, replying, “Yes, your honor.” His arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 7.
One day earlier, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges alongside LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, outlining the severity of the case.
“These charges will be two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders,” Hochman said. “He also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, that being a knife. These charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.”
Nick was located near the University of Southern California campus on Sunday evening, around 9:15 p.m., and taken into custody. He was initially booked on $4 million bail but is now being held without bail. By Monday, he had been transferred to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
In the moments before the murders, witnesses say signs of trouble surfaced. Nick was reportedly acting erratically during an argument with his parents the night before at Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party. Guests later described him as behaving “crazy,” repeatedly asking people whether they were famous.
As the legal process begins, the Reiners’ surviving children, Jake and Romy, say they are overwhelmed by grief.
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” they wrote in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. “They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
They expressed gratitude for the support coming from all directions and asked the public to show restraint and compassion, adding, “We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity.”
Nick’s attorney, Alan Jackson, spoke briefly after his client’s appearance, emphasizing the complexity ahead.
“First of all, and most importantly, this is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family,” Jackson told reporters. “There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case that need to be thoroughly but very carefully dealt with, and examined and looked at and analyzed.”
The case continues to unfold as investigators, family members, and the court confront the aftermath of a devastating tragedy.
