Family members and close friends of Rob and Michele Reiner gathered quietly at a Los Angeles home over the weekend, one week after the couple’s deaths stunned the entertainment community and neighbors alike.
The private gathering, held at the home of Rob Reiner’s sister Annie, came as investigators continue to pursue a homicide case that has placed the couple’s son at the center of a tragic and complex legal process.
Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead in their Los Angeles residence last Sunday. Authorities later confirmed the case as a homicide, marking one of the most closely watched domestic crime investigations in the city this year.
Los Angeles police said Rob Reiner, seventy eight, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, seventy, were discovered with multiple stab wounds inside their home.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined their causes of death to be multiple sharp force injuries and officially ruled both deaths a homicide.
Their bodies were released to family members Friday following autopsies, according to People magazine.
Later on the day of the discovery, the couple’s son, Nick Reiner, thirty two, was arrested in connection with their deaths. Prosecutors have since charged him with two counts of first degree murder.
He remains in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles and is being held under suicide watch, a law enforcement source told People.
Nick Reiner is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. seven, two thousand twenty-six. He is expected to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, according to court officials.
Legal experts said the case surrounding the Rob and Michele Reiner deaths highlights the intersection of criminal law and mental health evaluations.
“When an insanity defense is raised, the focus shifts from intent alone to the defendant’s psychological condition at the time of the alleged crime,” said Dr. Alan Meyers, a forensic psychiatrist who has consulted on high profile cases in California.
“These proceedings tend to be lengthy and heavily reliant on expert testimony.”
Authorities have not publicly detailed the evidence that led to Nick Reiner’s arrest, citing the ongoing investigation.
According to data from the Los Angeles Police Department, family related homicides account for a small but persistent share of violent crime in the city each year.
In two thousand twenty four, fewer than ten percent of homicide cases involved immediate family members, with many linked to untreated or severe mental health conditions.
Criminal justice analysts noted that cases involving allegations of mental illness often move more slowly through the courts due to evaluations, hearings and psychiatric reviews.
Neighbors described Rob and Michele Reiner as private and polite, saying the violence came as a shock. “They were friendly but kept to themselves,” said Maria Alvarez, who has lived on the block for more than a decade.
You never imagine something like this happening so close to home. A longtime family friend said the week had been marked by grief rather than public statements.
“This is a family trying to process an unimaginable loss,” said the friend, who requested anonymity. “The gathering was about support and privacy, not answers.”
Sources previously told the New York Post that the couple had attended a holiday party hosted by Conan O’Brien the night before their deaths and that a heated argument involving their son occurred there. Police have not confirmed whether that event is directly linked to the killings.
Prosecutors are expected to outline their case during Nick Reiner’s upcoming court appearances, while defense attorneys will likely request psychiatric evaluations before trial proceedings advance.
Legal observers said the Rob and Michele Reiner deaths could take years to fully resolve in court, depending on mental health findings and pretrial motions.
In the meantime, family members are expected to continue mourning privately. No public memorial plans have been announced.
One week after the Rob and Michele Reiner deaths, the family’s quiet gathering underscored the human toll behind a case now moving through the criminal justice system.
As investigators and courts work toward clarity, loved ones remain focused on remembrance and grief, while legal questions surrounding the killings await resolution.
