From Holiday Party to Homicide: A Timeline of Tragedy
The Hollywood community has been left reeling after the shocking deaths of celebrated filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner. Their son, 32-year-old Nick Reiner, has been arrested and charged with their murders following a disturbing sequence of events that began at a celebrity holiday gathering.
A Troubling Appearance and Missing Hours
The chain of events started on the evening of Saturday, December 13, at comedian Conan O'Brien's festive holiday party. According to sources, Nick Reiner was brought to the star-studded event by his parents, who reportedly wanted to 'keep an eye on him'. Witnesses described the six-foot-three, bearded figure as standing out in 'scruffy' clothes, initially standing alone by a firepit.
His behaviour soon caused concern. Insiders told media outlets that Nick was 'acting crazy', asking guests if they were famous and eventually getting into a 'very loud argument' with his parents in front of other attendees. The confrontation allegedly escalated when he rowed with comedian Bill Hader. One partygoer suggested he 'seemed high on something'.
Rob and Michele Reiner left the party, but it remains unclear if Nick left with them. The next confirmed sighting came from surveillance footage at a Sinclair gas station near the family's Brentwood home late that Saturday night. Station owner John Fawcett, who knew Nick from childhood, said he 'looked absolutely lost' as he walked through.
A Bloody Trail and a Grisly Discovery
Approximately five hours later, at around 4am on Sunday, December 14, Nick Reiner checked into room 207 at The Pierside Santa Monica, a boutique hotel five miles from his family's $13.5 million estate. He paid for just one night at the $400-a-night beachside property. Staff who entered the room later that morning made a horrifying discovery: the shower was 'full of blood', with splatters across the bed and the window covered by bedsheets.
Meanwhile, back at the Reiners' Brentwood mansion, alarm was growing. The couple missed a scheduled 2pm massage appointment. Their masseuse alerted their daughter, Romy, who lives across the street. Romy entered the home and found her parents knifed to death. She immediately fled and contacted emergency services, which arrived around 3.30pm. Romy reportedly told police her 'dangerous' brother, who was missing, should be considered a suspect.
Arrest and Aftermath
Nick Reiner's whereabouts for the next 16 hours are unaccounted for. He was next seen just after 8pm on Sunday at an Arco gas station near Exposition Park, close to the University of Southern California. CCTV shows him entering the store, scanning the area, and calmly purchasing a sports drink.
Shortly after 9pm, police and US Marshals descended on the intersection of Exposition Park and Vermont Avenue. Video footage shows Nick being surrounded, raising his arms in surrender, and being taken into custody 'without issue'. The LAPD credited 'good, solid police work' for tracking him down.
Nick Reiner is now being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Downtown LA. During a brief court appearance, he wore an anti-suicide smock and shackles, waiving his right to enter a plea. His next hearing is scheduled for January 7.
The case has raised serious questions about the 16-hour gap between the discovery of the bloody hotel room and his arrest, and whether the public was at risk as he moved across Los Angeles. Friends of the family had revealed that Rob and Michele were increasingly 'scared' of their son's deteriorating mental state, a tragic foreshadowing of the horror that was to unfold.
