EXCLUSIVE: Experts Reveal Why Nick Reiner's Alleged Double Parricide is One of World's Rarest — And Most Taboo — Crimes
Nick Reiner the son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Reiner stands accused of one of the most socially forbidden crimes imaginable, according to experts.
Jan. 5 2026, Published 6:03 p.m. ET
Nick Reiner the son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Reiner stands accused of one of the most socially forbidden crimes imaginable – the alleged killing of both his parents – in a case specialists say sits at the extreme margins of criminal behavior and carries a cultural taboo as old as recorded law.
As RadarOnline.com has reported, prosecutors in Los Angeles allege that Nick repeatedly stabbed his parents to death inside their Brentwood, California, home in December.
A Crime Condemned Since Ancient Times
Nick Reiner is accused of killing both of his parents.
Parricide – the killing of a parent – has long been regarded as a profound moral violation, condemned in biblical law and punished with exceptional cruelty in ancient Rome.
While parricide accounts for only a small fraction of homicides, the killing of both parents, known as double parricide, is rarer still.
Nick, who has a documented history of drug addiction, had spoken of the pressure of growing up as the child of celebrated director Rob, whose films include When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride and Misery, and had clashed with his parents over efforts to push him into rehabilitation.
His famous mom and dad were found dead hours after he and his father were reportedly heard arguing at a holiday party.
Experts Break Down The Four Parricide Profiles
Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner died during the December attack.
If the case proceeds to trial, prosecutors are expected to focus on motive.
Dr. Kathleen Heide, a distinguished professor of criminology at the University of South Florida, said parricides account for only around two percent of U.S. homicides, with just eight percent involving the murder of both parents.
Heide, regarded as the leading American authority on parricide, said offenders typically fall into four overlapping categories. The first group, she said, are long-term victims of severe abuse, often young and still living at home.
The second involves the severely mentally ill, including people with schizophrenia or depression with psychotic features.
"They may have delusions about their parents, or they may be hearing voices, you know, God's telling them to do this," Heide warned.
Anger, Addiction And A Highly Personal Killing
Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner died in their beds after their throats were slit.
A third category includes what Heide called the "dangerously anti-social," who kill for selfish reasons such as money or freedom.
"They want to get their parents' money. Maybe they're going to be cut out of a will, or their parents are setting some financial limits," she said.
The fourth group, she added, are the "enraged," whose underlying anger can erupt into lethal violence, sometimes intensified by drugs or alcohol. Heide stressed these categories are not mutually exclusive.
"Sometimes a case will look like one type, and then you really get into it, and you find there's a lot more to the story," she said.
Heide, who described the Reiners as "very loving, committed parents," declined to comment directly on the case but noted the alleged use of a knife rather than a gun was "significant."
She called stabbing a "more personal, more expressive" method, often "fueled by anger or rage… particularly if there were multiple stab wounds."
Why Double Parricide Is So Exceptionally Rare
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The average age of a parricide offender is 31 years old.
Dr. Amanda Holt, a British criminologist at the University of Roehampton, said Nick fit many international patterns.
The average age of a parricide offender is 31, she said, and perpetrators are usually men who are single and living with their parents.
Mental illness, Holt added, is six times more common in parricide than in other homicides. While most parent-child relationships involve conflict, she said parricides often hinge on a trigger point such as a serious argument.
"It's quite hard to kill two people in quick succession, so there may be more practical, rather than emotional reasons," she said.
