Troubled Nick Reiner 'Wanted to Obtain a Gun' Before Parents Rob and Michele's Throats Were Slit While in Bed — 'Everything Escalated Incredibly Quickly'
Sources claimed Nick Reiner expressed a desire to own a gun before Rob and Michele Reiner's murders.
Dec. 30 2025, Published 11:05 a.m. ET
Chilling new details about Rob Reiner's troubled son Nick's behavior in the days leading up to the murder of the legendary director and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, have emerged.
Sources claimed shortly before the double homicide, Nick expressed a desire to own a gun, though it's unclear if any steps to purchase a weapon were made, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
While reflecting on the tragedy and Nick's alleged actions, insiders close to the situation reportedly said: "Everything escalated incredibly quickly."
'Deeply Unsettling' Time Before Murders
Sources claimed Nick expressed an interest in owning a gun just before his parents murders.
As RadarOnline.com reported, Nick, 32, faces first-degree murder charges in connection with his parents' deaths. He was arrested hours after his younger sister Romy discovered the body of the When Harry Met Sally director inside the couple's Brentwood home on Sunday, December 14.
Insiders noted the period of time just before the murders was "fast-moving and deeply unsettling."
"Everything escalated incredibly quickly," one source told journalist Rob Shuter, who writes on Substack. "He wasn't panicked – he was focused, and that's what makes it so disturbing."
Nick was arrested hours after his younger sister Romy discovered their parents' bodies.
While authorities confirmed the murder weapon was a knife, insiders said the disturbing part of Nick's interest in owning a firearm is what it suggests about his state of mind leading up to his parents' murders.
Nick had a history of addiction issues and drug abuse, as well as mental health struggles. He was reportedly being treated for schizophrenia at the time of the murders.
"The concern isn't what he had – it's what he was thinking about in those final days," an insider explained.
Sources said the tragedy 'still doesn't feel real.'
As the investigation into Rob and Michele's deaths remains ongoing, those close to the beloved A-listers continue to struggle with wrapping their minds around the situation.
"It’s stunning. It still doesn’t feel real," another source said. "Nobody imagined this could happen."
Recently, a Los Angeles judge blocked the County Medical Examiner from releasing the autopsy reports on The Princess Bride director and the photographer-producer.
A L.A. judge has blocked the release of autopsy reports for Rob and Michele.
The Medical Examiner's Office released a statement on December 29 noting "a court order, initiated by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), to place a security hold on" the autopsy cases of the Reiners.
"While the cause and manner of death were previously released on these cases, due to the court order, the information is no longer available. No other case information or records, including the Medical Examiner report, can be released or posted on the website until further notice," the press release stated.
Although the Medical Examiner previously released "multiple sharp force injuries" as the couple's cause of death, that information has since been taken down from their website.
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As for Rob and Michele's son Nick, he's been charged with two counts of first-degree murder "with a special circumstance of multiple murders and use of a deadly weapon."
If convicted, the 32-year-old faces life in prison without the possibly of parole, though the death penalty has not been taken off the table.
