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Nick Reiner was diagnosed with schizophrenia weeks before parents Rob and Michele's murders
Nick Reiner, diagnosed with schizophrenia, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the gruesome killing of his parents.
Nick Reiner was diagnosed with schizophrenia just weeks before his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, were brutally murdered. The 32-year-old was arrested Sunday night near Exposition Park in Downtown LA after reportedly leaving behind bloody evidence at a Santa Monica hotel, per TMZ. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing.
Sources told the outlet on Friday that Nick was under the care of a psychiatrist for mental illness. He had been taking medications that made him “erratic and dangerous.” A month before the murders, his behaviour became “alarming,” and when the doctors changed his meds to stabilise him, he was “out of his head.” The insiders further revealed that his substance abuse was “worsening the schizophrenia.”
Nick was recently placed at a Los Angeles rehab facility that specialises in mental illness and substance abuse. According to the outlet, “lots of rich, powerful parents” admit their “troubled kids” to the same facility, which charges $70,000 per month. Following his arrest, he was originally booked in DTLA’s Parker Center Jail, but was later transferred to Twin Towers Correctional Facility. He is currently being held without bail.
The famed director, 78, and the photographer, 70, were discovered by their youngest daughter, Romy Reiner, at the couple's Brentwood home on Sunday afternoon. Sources told the outlet that Rob and Michele's throats had been slashed. The LA County Medical Examiner later confirmed their cause of death as “multiple sharp force injuries,” ruling it was homicide.
With two counts of first-degree murder, Nick is facing a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. He made his first court appearance on Wednesday. According to Page Six, he wore an anti-suicide smock and both his hands and feet were shackled. He also confirmed to the judge that he wanted to waive his right to a fast arraignment.
