In the days following Nick Reiner’s arrest for the stabbing deaths of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, more details emerged, shedding light on his mental health struggles and potential warning signs from his past.
Sources close to the case told TMZ that the 32-year-old had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was undergoing treatment at a high-end Los Angeles facility specializing in dual diagnosis for mental illness and substance abuse, costing around $70,000 per month.
Three to four weeks prior to the December 14 slaying, doctors reportedly adjusted his medications, leading to behavior described as “erratic and dangerous” worsened by ongoing drug abuse problems, per TMZ. Some speculate that this could form the basis for a not guilty by reason of insanity plea as his defense team, led by prominent attorney Alan Jackson, prepares for trial.
Jackson has previously represented Harvey Weinstein in a 2022 rape trial in Los Angeles, as well as Karen Read in the high-profile Massachusetts murder case that ended earlier this year.
Nick made his first court appearance on December 17 in Los Angeles, facing two counts of first-degree murder.
The judge allegedly ruled against allowing any photographs, with only a court sketch released of him wearing a blue “anti-suicide” smock. Bail was previously listed as $4 million according to jail records, but now reads “No Bail“.
Security footage obtained by TMZ just hours after the murders shows Nick acting somewhat “normally” while checking into a hotel he was staying at, the same hotel where blood was reportedly found scattered throughout.
Some say there were multiple blatant signs of a future breakdown throughout Nick’s life.
In 2015, Nick co-wrote “Being Charlie,” a semi-autobiographical film directed by his father about a young man’s battles with addiction and fractured family ties.
A film that was once celebrated for its vulnerability now has viewers revisiting scenes that could be interpreted as foreshadowing of an impending breakdown. Producer Doug Shaffer, who worked on the project, recently called the murders “sickening,” while telling Page Six that he also saw frequent arguments during production where Nick and Rob publicly clashed on set.
Those clashes were reportedly common, even the night before the murders.
A separate report from Page Six claimed that Conan O’Brien intervened to prevent partygoers from calling 911 when Nick Reiner got into a heated confrontation with his father, Rob, at a holiday gathering the night before the stabbings.
In a 2016 Access Hollywood sit-down interview, Rob openly discussed Nick’s drug struggles while Nick appeared uncomfortable, with his father often speaking for him in an attempt to navigate the conversation. “I get crazy. You don’t want to set me off,” Nick said jokingly.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division continues to lead the investigation into the murders, with no additional suspects currently tied to the case. His next court appearance is scheduled for January 7.