Just after 4 a.m. on Sunday, December 14, 32-year-old Nick Reiner checked into room 207 at The Pierside Santa Monica, a boutique hotel near the pier, carrying a credit card and what guests described as an unfocused, jittery presence. Less than 24 hours later, Nick was in police custody, arrested and now charged in what authorities are calling the fatal stabbing deaths of his parents, beloved filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.
Hotel staff initially had no idea of the violent storm about to break. They saw Nick arrive early Sunday, appearing disheveled and “tweaked out,” possibly under the influence of a stimulant, according to eyewitnesses. He paid for a one-night stay — roughly $400 a night — and bought several beverages from the lobby shop before disappearing into room 207.
When housekeeping entered that room later Sunday morning, they were met with an unsettling scene that would soon become central to the investigation: the shower floor was reportedly covered in blood, and there were large stains on the bed. Sheets had been draped over the windows, as if to block sightlines. Nothing about the scene suggested Nick had checked out — he hadn’t formally signed out or left his key — but investigators quickly sealed off the entire second floor of the hotel as the Los Angeles Police Department’s homicide unit began combing for evidence.
Just hours before Nick’s early hotel check-in, his older parents were back in their Brentwood home in Los Angeles, attending a holiday party hosted by talk-show host Conan O’Brien. Multiple guests later reported a loud, heated argument between Nick and his father. That night would mark the last time Rob and Michele Singer Reiner were seen alive.
On Sunday afternoon, their daughter, Romy Reiner, returned to the family’s mansion after being unable to reach them and made the grim discovery: the couple were dead in their bedroom, apparently victims of fatal stab wounds. Law enforcement later confirmed that both had suffered lacerations “consistent with a knife,” and their throats had been slit.
By that evening, Los Angeles police located Nick about 15 miles from the Brentwood home, near the USC campus, and took him into custody without incident. On Tuesday, prosecutors announced he was formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, including the alleged use of a deadly weapon. If convicted, he faces life in prison without parole — or even the death penalty. Officials have not yet announced a motive.
Neighbors, friends and colleagues across Hollywood have been left stunned by the tragedy. Rob Reiner, 78, was celebrated for films such as When Harry Met Sally… and A Few Good Men, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, was a photographer and producer known for her advocacy and creative work. Tributes have poured in as the city grapples with both the loss and the startling circumstances surrounding it.
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