New information has come to light concerning the tragic demises of acclaimed director Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, whose remains were located at their residence home on Sunday.
The Discovery
A source indicates referencing a family associate, a therapist arriving for an appointment was the first to notice something was wrong after not being able to enter the house. This individual then reached out to the couple's daughter, Romy Reiner, who lives in the vicinity.
Upon entering the residence, Romy found her father's body. Accounts indicate she then fled the house in anguish, not realizing at that moment that her mother's body was also present. Another individual who had accompanied her promptly called 911. Following this, emergency responders located Michele Singer Reiner's body.
Criminal Charges
Law enforcement have charged the couple's 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, with the charges of murder in the first degree, including the use of a dangerous weapon, reportedly a knife. He is currently in custody and denied bail.
Disputed Reports
The person close to the family challenged several previously reported details. It was stated that while Romy Reiner informed emergency responders that her brother Nick lived in a guesthouse on the grounds, she did not identify him as a suspect at that moment.
The source also pushed back against widely reported suggestions that Rob and Michele Singer Reiner had been especially "concerned" about Nick's conduct in recent weeks. Rather the family was "familiar with working through [Nick's] problems together."
The statement applies to descriptions of reportedly "unpredictable" behavior by Nick at a party held by Conan O'Brien the evening prior to the tragedy. Although the source said they were not in a position to confirm whether Rob had "rebuked" his son at the party, they asserted that reports of a "blow-up" between the two were untrue.
Ongoing Inquiry Details
Per law enforcement officials, the medical examiner had yet to determine as of Tuesday whether the Reiners died late on Saturday or on Sunday. Some accounts noted the state of their bodies suggested they had been dead for a number of hours.
Nick Reiner was apprehended at around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday in the neighbourhood of Exposition Park, about 15 miles from the scene. He was set to have a hearing on Tuesday, but his legal counsel, Alan Jackson, said his client had a medical issue and would be unable to attend until no sooner than Wednesday.
