Rob Reiner’s son, Nick Reiner, has been arrested on a homicide charge following the deaths of the acclaimed director-writer and his wife, Michele Reiner, at their Los Angeles home, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department official told The Associated Press on Monday.
The official confirmed that the 32-year-old was taken into custody and booked on a homicide charge.
Online jail records show Nick Reiner remains in custody, with bail set at $4 million. It was not immediately clear if he has retained an attorney.
The development came a day after authorities found Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 68, dead inside Reiner’s home in the upscale Brentwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid call shortly after 3.30 pm on Sunday and discovered a man and a woman deceased inside the residence.
A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said investigators believe the couple suffered stab wounds and that a family member was being questioned.
Detectives from the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division are investigating what police described as an “apparent homicide,” according to Capt. Mike Bland.
Authorities have not officially confirmed the identities of the victims, though multiple law enforcement sources identified them as Rob and Michele Reiner. Killings are rare in Brentwood, a neighbourhood home to many celebrities, and the scene is about a mile from where Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were killed in 1994.
According to media reports citing law enforcement sources, the couple’s daughter, Romy Reiner, discovered their bodies and alerted police, saying she believed a family member could be responsible. Police have not publicly confirmed these details.
Nick Reiner has previously spoken publicly about his struggles with drug addiction and periods of homelessness. In a 2016 interview, he said he first entered rehab at age 15 and went through numerous treatment stints. He later co-wrote the semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie, which explored addiction and recovery.
Rob Reiner was one of Hollywood’s most prolific and influential filmmakers, directing classics such as This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride and A Few Good Men. He also rose to fame as “Meathead” in the 1970s television series All in the Family, earning two Emmy Awards.
Rob Reiner, the son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, had been married to photographer Michele Singer Reiner since 1989. They had three children together. The investigation into their deaths remains ongoing.
