County officials on Wednesday revealed the official cause of death for Rob and Michele Reiner, confirming the couple was killed in a weekend double homicide for which their son, Nick Reiner, remains the primary suspect.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said both Rob, 78, and Michele, 70, were killed by “multiple sharp force injuries,” validating earlier reports that the legendary Hollywood couple was stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Sunday.
According to the L.A. Board of Police Commissioners, Rob and Michele were found in the primary bedroom of their home. CNN reported that it was the daughter, Romy Reiner, who discovered her dead parents around 3 p.m. on Sunday.
“Romy lived across the street from their home, and went to check on her parents,” CNN reported, citing an unnamed source. “She left the home, found a friend who was staying with her and told her to call 911.”
CNN’s source also reportedly shared that the couple’s middle child, Nick Reiner, 32, was staying at his parents’ residence in a guest house separate from the main structure at the time of their murder.
ADDITION ADDS MAIDEN NAME: FILE – Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner arrive on the red carpet at the State Department for the Kennedy Center Honors gala dinner, Dec. 2, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) 
Rob Reiner, from left, Michele Singer Reiner, Romy Reiner, Nick Reiner, Maria Gilfillan, and Jake Reiner arrive at the premiere of “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) 
Nick Reiner is seen at the premiere of “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) 
Nick Reiner, 32, was reportedly arrested sometime after 9 p.m. in connection with the death of his father Rob Reiner and mother Michele Singer Reiner on Dec. 14, 2025. (LAPD) 
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 04: Rob Reiner and Nick Reiner attend AOL Build Speaker Series at AOL Studios In New York on May 4, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Laura Cavanaugh/FilmMagic)
Authorities found and arrested Nick at the Expo/Vermont Metro station in Exposition Park just hours after his parents were killed.
Consequently, L.A. District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Tuesday that Nick had been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in a case that could carry the death penalty.
Nick was initially scheduled to make his first court appearance on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., but his attorney, high-profile defense lawyer Alan Jackson, told KTLA 5’s Eric Spillman that Reiner wasn’t medically cleared to make the appearance at the time.
Instead, Nick made his first court appearance on Wednesday, where courtroom sketch artist Mona Shafer Edwards showed he was handcuffed and dressed in an anti-suicide smock. Nick’s arraignment was pushed until January, and, in the meantime, he is being held without bail.
A courtroom sketch of Nick Reiner during his first court appearance on Dec. 17, 2025. His arraignment was pushed back to Jan. 7, 2026. (Credit: Mona Shafer Edwards) 
A courtroom sketch of Nick Reiner during his first court appearance on Dec. 17, 2025. His arraignment was pushed back to Jan. 7, 2026. (Credit: Mona Shafer Edwards) 
A courtroom sketch of Nick Reiner during his first court appearance on Dec. 17, 2025. His arraignment was pushed back to Jan. 7, 2026. (Credit: Mona Shafer Edwards)
A motive for the killings has not been established, but multiple reports indicate that Nick had gotten into an argument with his father at a party hosted by Conan O’Brien on Saturday.
Rob Reiner was born into the entertainment industry as the son of Carl Reiner, a Broadway star and frequent collaborator with comedy legends Mel Brooks and Norman Lear. In the 1970s, he co-starred in Lear’s groundbreaking sitcom “All in the Family” before embarking on a career as director of 20th-century classics including “The Princess Bride,” “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Misery” and “When Harry Met Sally.”
Michele Singer Reiner was a renowned Hollywood photographer and producer.
The couple had been married for 36 years and had three children together.
Romy and her other brother, Jake Reiner, released their first statement after their parents’ deaths on Wednesday, expressing their grief, thanking their community and kindly asking for respect and privacy while they mourn.