Newly released death certificates have uncovered devastating details about the murders of celebrated Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele. The couple were found dead in their Los Angeles home earlier this month in a case that has shocked the entertainment world.
Heartbreaking Timeline of the Attack
The official documents, obtained by outlet TMZ, confirm the couple died just one minute apart during the brutal attack at their Brentwood residence. Rob Reiner, the acclaimed director of 'When Harry Met Sally', is listed as having died at 3:45pm on Sunday 14 December 2025. His wife, Michele, is recorded as passing away at 3:46pm on the same day.
This tragic one-minute difference is starkly reflected in the certificates' marital status section. Rob is noted as being 'married' at his time of death, while Michele is listed as 'widowed'. The cause of death for both is given as 'multiple sharp force injuries' with the manner described as 'with knife, by another'.
Son in Custody as Family Plans Memorial
The couple's 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, was arrested on suspicion of the murders soon after the bodies were discovered. He remains in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles and is scheduled for a hearing on 7 January. If found guilty, he could face life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Meanwhile, the Reiners' other two children, Jake, 34, and Romy, 27, are handling arrangements. The couple were cremated at Mount Sinai Mortuary and their ashes are being held by Jake. The siblings released a joint statement expressing their 'unimaginable pain' and describing their parents as not just family but their 'best friends'.
'We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life,' they said. They asked for privacy and for their parents to 'be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave.' A memorial service is planned for a later date.
Hollywood Pays Tribute to a Legend
The shocking deaths have prompted an outpouring of grief from across the film industry. Actress Kathy Bates, who won an Oscar for her role in Reiner's 1990 thriller 'Misery', credited the director with changing her life. In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, she reflected that without his faith in her casting, her career might have taken a drastically different path.
Actor Jerry O'Connell, who starred as a child in Reiner's classic 'Stand By Me', recalled the director's profound kindness. He emotionally recounted how Reiner took him, then just 12 years old, out to lunch months after the film's release simply to thank him. 'That lunch meant so much to me,' O'Connell said. 'It's just stuff that kids need to hear.'
As the legal process continues, the film community and the public are left to mourn the loss of a iconic filmmaker and his wife, whose lives ended in a tragedy that has revealed ever more heartbreaking details.
