The children of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, have issued their first public statement following the couple’s deaths and the arrest of their brother, Nick Reiner, in connection with the killings.
In a message released through media outlet TMZ, siblings Jake and Romy Reiner said: “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our 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. We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave.”
Prosecutors say the bodies of Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 68, were discovered Sunday afternoon at their Brentwood, California, home. The couple was found around 3:40 p.m., reportedly by their daughter Romy. Nick Reiner, 32, was taken into custody several hours later at the Expo/Vermont Metro station in Exposition Park.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed the official cause of death on Wednesday, stating the Reiners died as the result of multiple sharp force injuries, with the manner of death ruled a homicide
Nick is charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstance allegations of multiple murders for allegedly stabbing his parents to death. Court documents show Reiner also faces an allegation of using a deadly weapon, a knife. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole or face the death penalty.
Reiner appeared briefly in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday after being medically cleared, but his arraignment was postponed for a second time and is now scheduled for Jan. 7. During the appearance, he did not enter a plea. According to reports, he was handcuffed and dressed in an anti-suicide smock. The only words he spoke in court were, “Yes, your honor.”
His attorney, prominent defense lawyer Alan Jackson, urged restraint following the hearing. “There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case,” Jackson said. “Things need to be thoroughly but very carefully dealt with and examined and looked at and analyzed .. We ask that during this process, you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed to move forward … not with jumping to conclusions, but with restraint and with dignity and with the respect that this system and this process deserves, and that the family deserves.”
Rob and Michele Reiner were married in May 1989 and shared three children: Jake, 34; Nick, 32; and Romy, 27. Rob Reiner was also the father of Tracy, 61, the daughter of his late ex-wife, Penny Marshall, whom he adopted when they were married.
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