The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner on Wednesday released the official causes of death for filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer-producer Michele Singer Reiner, ruling both deaths homicides from multiple sharp force injuries after the couple were found Sunday at their Brentwood home.
The findings confirm what detectives had indicated in the days since the killings and set the stage for a criminal case already moving through court. Prosecutors have charged the couple’s son, 32-year-old Nick Reiner, with two counts of first-degree murder, with special-circumstance allegations for multiple murders and an enhancement alleging use of a knife. He made a brief first court appearance Wednesday as investigators continue to gather forensic results, surveillance video and witness statements. The immediate questions now center on motive, the timeline between the last time the couple was seen alive and their son’s arrest, and what additional evidence prosecutors plan to present at the next hearing.
Authorities said first responders were sent to the Brentwood address shortly after 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, for a welfare or medical-aid call and discovered the bodies of Reiner, 78, and Singer Reiner, 70, inside the home. Detectives believe the fatal stabbings occurred earlier that day. Police later detained the couple’s son in the South Los Angeles area several hours after the discovery. In a statement announcing the charges, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the filings “reflect the gravity of this crime” and that his office would make penalty decisions after a formal review of the evidence. Investigators have not publicly identified a motive and have not said whether a weapon recovered by officers is believed to be the one used in the attack.
Court records outline two counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders and a weapon-use allegation. During a brief appearance in a downtown courtroom Wednesday, Reiner did not enter a plea; a judge postponed the arraignment to Jan. 7 to allow both sides to review discovery. Prosecutors said the investigation remains active and referenced pending laboratory analysis, a canvass for security footage and additional interviews. Siblings Romy and Jake Reiner issued a written statement describing their parents as “our best friends” and asking for privacy as they grieve. The district attorney’s office said any decision regarding whether to seek the death penalty would follow its standard internal review.
Reiner, known for films including “Stand by Me,” “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally…” and “A Few Good Men,” and Singer Reiner, a photographer and producer who worked on documentaries and served as a longtime creative partner, married in 1989 and raised three children together. Friends and colleagues in entertainment and politics praised the couple’s decades of civic work and philanthropy. Neighbors described a typically quiet block of gated homes and thick hedges; several stopped to leave flowers along the curb as detectives and crime-scene technicians moved in and out of the house earlier this week.
Investigators are tracing the hours before the killings to map the movements of family members and visitors. Police are reviewing footage from nearby homes and businesses and have interviewed people who saw father and son in recent days. A law enforcement timeline describes the initial call that brought firefighters and officers to the house, the discovery of the victims in a bedroom, and the search that led to the son’s detention near Exposition Park, not far from the University of Southern California. Officials have not said what prompted the welfare check, whether prior calls for service were made to the address, or whether any domestic incidents at the home were previously documented.
Under California law, a special-circumstance multiple-murder allegation carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole; capital punishment requires a separate decision by the district attorney after internal review. The judge scheduled the next hearing for Jan. 7, when a plea could be entered and bail may be discussed. Prosecutors said additional filings are possible as testing results come back and as detectives work to finalize a timeline. The LAPD’s robbery-homicide division continues to lead the investigation and urged anyone with information to contact detectives through established channels.
By Wednesday night, the medical examiner’s rulings were posted, court dates were set and a growing memorial had formed outside the Brentwood home. Investigators said they are still collecting evidence and are not speculating publicly about motive. The next major update is expected at the Jan. 7 arraignment.
Author note: Last updated December 17, 2025.