Josh (00:00):
Hello, everybody.
Speaker 8 (00:01):
Hi, Josh.
Josh (00:04):
It's a big crowd.
Speaker 8 (00:05):
Two minutes?
Josh (00:06):
Less than two minutes. We're coming out right now.
(00:10)
Let's have Maria and John, I believe. Great. And then LAPD on that side. Perfect.
(00:24)
So this is going to be an update on the homicide investigation of Rob Reiner and Michelle Reiner. You're going to hear from the Chief of Police, Jim McDonald from the Los Angeles Police Department, and the District Attorney, Nathan Hockman. Just want to level expectations. We will allow some time for questions, but because of this is a preliminary investigation still, very active. It's being filed as we speak. There's not a lot we're going to be able to say right now.
(00:50)
Also, if you would, please, one question at a time so that we can hear the question and answer it appropriately. So if we could have that decorum in here.
(01:01)
DA Nathan Hockman.
Nathan Hockman (01:07):
My name is Nathan Hockman. I'm the District Attorney of Los Angeles County. Today I'm here to announce that our office will be filing charges against Nick Reiner, who is accused of killing his parents, actor director, Rob Reiner, and photographer, producer, Michelle Singer Reiner. These charges will be two counts of first degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders. He also fesses a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, that being a knife. These charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility parole, or the death penalty. No decision, at this point, has been made with respect to the death penalty. We have requested, and currently, Nick Reiner is being held without bail.
(02:01)
Now, in announcing these charges, I also want to announce that they're just that. They are charges. Charges are not evidence. Evidence is something that we will be presenting in a court of law to meet the standard of proof we meet in every criminal case, which is beyond a reasonable doubt, to 12 jurors who you'll unanimously have to find that we've met that standard to prove the charges we bring to court.
(02:29)
Right now, with respect to the process, once the charges get filed this afternoon, Nick Reiner will be then brought to court. He is going through medical clearance, something that everybody who gets arrested and gets held in a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department jail goes through. Once he is medically cleared, he will be brought to court to be arraigned on these charges. At that point, he will enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.
(03:00)
Now, prosecuting these cases involving family members are some of the most challenging and most heart-wrenching cases that this office faces because of the intimate, and often brutal, nature of the crimes involved. Rob Reiner was a brilliant actor and director, an iconic force in our entertainment industry for decades. His wife, Michelle Singer Reiner, was an equally iconic photographer and producer. Their loss is beyond tragic and we will commit ourselves to bringing their murderer to justice.
(03:43)
I want to thank LAPD Chief McDonald, who is here today, along with Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton from the LAPD, and LAPD Captain Scott Williams, and the entire robbery homicide division, who literally has been working around the clock to gather the evidence that have led to the charges we're going to be filing today. Also from my office, I have Assistant District Attorney, Maria Ramirez. I have Director of Specialized Prosecutions, John McKinney. I have our Head Deputy of Major Crimes, Craig Hum. And I have the two prosecutors who will be leading the prosecution in this case, Assistant Head Deputy of Major Crimes, Habib Balian, and Deputy District Attorney for Major Crimes, Jonathan Chung. They will bring their decades of experience to holding this murderer accountable for his actions.
(04:40)
At this point, again, you will hear in the media rumors. You will hear speculation. You will hear hearsay. What I'm asking everyone to do is to rely on trusted sources. If it doesn't come from the district attorney's office, from LAPD, from the coroner's office, or from the courtroom itself, then there is a good chance you are hearing misinformation, because at the appropriate time, the actual evidence involved in this case will be presented in a court of law. So I ask for your patience until that is done. But again, please do not rely on rank, speculation, rumor, or hearsay to believe that you understand anything about what went on in this case. I'd now like to turn it over to Chief McDonald.
Chief McDonald (05:29):
Thank you. Well, good afternoon and thank you all for being here today, and it's with deep sadness that I address the tragic loss of Robert and Michelle Reiner. On December 14th, 2025, LAPD officers from our West Los Angeles Division responded to a death investigation at the 200 block of South Chadbourne Avenue, which is in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles. Upon entering the residence, they discovered the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Reiner. Detectives from our Robbery Homicide Division Homicide Special Section immediately initiated a comprehensive investigation. The evidence gathered led to the arrest of their son, Nick Reiner, who was taken into custody later that night without incident in the exposition park section of our city.
(06:18)
Today, the Los Angeles County District's Attorney's Office has formally filed charges against Mr. Reiner for the murder of his parents. This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal, not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones, but for our entire city. We extend our deepest condolences to all of those who are affected by this tragedy.
(06:39)
I want to take a moment to recognize and thank our criminal justice partners. The District Attorney's Office led by DA Hockman and everyone who worked tirelessly on this investigation. Their swift action, professionalism, and commitment to justice have been instrumental in bringing clarity and accountability to this case. The LAPD remains steadfast in our mission to protect life and uphold justice. We will continue to support the Reiner family and ensure that every step forward is taken with care, dignity, and resolved. Thank you.
Nathan Hockman (07:09):
We're going to take some questions. Yes, right here in the front.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Just to extremes, could you talk about why you feel this case rises to special circumstances?
Nathan Hockman (07:25):
So special circumstances is a situation where one of the enumerated factors that lead to elevating in some ways a first degree murder case to a special circumstance, first degree murder case occurs. One of those special circumstances is called multiple murders. Here we have two, and it qualifies under the definition of multiple murders to allege the special circumstance in this particular case.
(07:53)
I saw over here.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
Chief, how was Nick Reiner found, and was there any evidence on him indicating a crime, and did he say anything?
Chief McDonald (08:00):
Yeah, he was found with good, solid police work, investigative tools used by Robbery Homicide and Gang and Narcotic Division detectives with the US Marshal Service Task Force involved, as well. So we're thankful for the work that was done. I won't go into talking about what was found or anything that could potentially taint the investigation.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
Chief, a follow up question for you, sir.
Chief McDonald (08:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Given Nick's history of drug use, was there any indication that he was under the influence at the time of this crime?
Chief McDonald (08:30):
No, thank you. Again, that's another question I can't touch.
Speaker 9 (08:36):
And following up on that, is there any evidence of mental illness in his background?
Chief McDonald (08:37):
Now you can talk to that.
Nathan Hockman (08:39):
I'm sorry, please repeat the question.
Speaker 9 (08:40):
Is there any evidence of mental illness in his background, beyond the addiction?
Nathan Hockman (08:44):
The evidence, any evidence, if there is any, of mental illness for his background, will be coming out in the hearings that will occur. We anticipate again, after the arraignment, the process will go through the normal process a case like this goes through. At the appropriate time, if there is evidence of mental illness, it will be presented in court and in whatever detail the defense seeks to do that.
(09:12)
Yes, right here.
Speaker 10 (09:14):
Are you anticipating any significant delay in bringing this case to trial on the basis, perhaps, that Nick may have to under significant psychological evaluation which would also give your people what the reason is [inaudible 00:09:30] might describe why his actions happened the way we did?
Nathan Hockman (09:30):
We don't anticipate any significant delay more than is involved in a first degree murder case with special circumstances. These are some of the most serious charges that a DA's office can bring against anyone, and we anticipate that the discovery that we will produce to the defense will be robust. It will be very involved. They'll want adequate time to review it. Again, they'll want to go through every single factor that they can ascertain in the defense of Mr. Nick Reiner. So again, this will proceed along the tracks that many of the first degree murder cases proceed. Do I anticipate it being particularly fast? No. I anticipate it being very thorough.
(10:13)
Yes, right here.
Speaker 11 (10:15):
Cause of death and time of death, can you share any information about that?
Nathan Hockman (10:17):
We are not, at this time.
(10:18)
Yes? Yes, right here.
Speaker 12 (10:21):
Did the members of the Reiner family help with your investigation so far and did they provide any information or assistance which led to Nick being arrested?
Nathan Hockman (10:31):
Let me defer to the Chief on this.
Chief McDonald (10:33):
Yeah, good.
Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton (10:33):
Hi, I'm Deputy Chief Allen Hamilton, Chief of Detectives. We don't have any specific information we're going to release at this time regarding the family's information they provided. And as we move forward, that information will be discussed in the appropriate venue, which will be the court.
Nathan Hockman (10:52):
Yes, in the front here.
Speaker 13 (10:53):
Sorry, it's for the Chief. Can you talk anything more about just not the condition that Nick was arrested. But was he at residence? Was he walking around? Was he observed by people in the neighborhood? Anything else you want to tell us about the nature of his arrest?
Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton (11:04):
You want me to take it?
Chief McDonald (11:04):
Yeah.
Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton (11:06):
So specifically, he was arrested in a public area, in the Exposition Park area near the University of Southern California campus. He was approached by the officers and he was arrested without incident. There was no indication that he was going to resist or anything like that. He didn't flee or anything like that. He was taken into custody without issue and he was transported to our police airport facility.
Nathan Hockman (11:35):
Take a question back there, yes.
Speaker 14 (11:36):
Murder weapon found?
Nathan Hockman (11:38):
He has been alleged. One of these special allegations is that the murder was committed with a deadly weapon or a knife. As to where and how the weapon was located or will be located, that will actually be evidence we'll present in court.
Josh (11:56):
Two more questions. Two more questions.
Nathan Hockman (12:00):
Let me take a question over here.
Speaker 15 (12:01):
Can you give us a timeline of when you think the murders occurred because now we know that there was an altercation on Saturday night at a party. Do we know that this happened Saturday night or maybe Sunday morning?
Nathan Hockman (12:11):
I'll defer to the Chief on this one.
Chief McDonald (12:15):
I'm sorry. We don't have that kind of specificity, yet. We're waiting the coroner to be able to try and determine as best they can, at this point, time of death.
Speaker 16 (12:23):
Chief, who called 911? Chief McDonald. Who called 911?
Speaker 17 (12:28):
Mr. Hockman, can I?
Nathan Hockman (12:30):
We'll take the question back there.
Speaker 16 (12:32):
Yes. Can you tell us who called 911?
Nathan Hockman (12:36):
Chief, if you know.
Chief McDonald (12:36):
We get a radio call from a fire department.
Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton (12:39):
I can. So in terms of how the Los Angeles Police Department became aware, it was a request from the Los Angeles Fire Department who responded to the scene first. We responded to their request for assistance at the scene of the incident. Our initial West LA officers that responded determined that a crime had occurred and they immediately notified our robbery homicide division. They've responded and they have taken over the investigation since that point.
Speaker 18 (13:09):
Mr. Hockman, I have a question.
Nathan Hockman (13:09):
One more question. I'll take it right here.
Speaker 19 (13:12):
I know you're hesitant to talk about sensitive evidence, but based on the evidence collected to support these charges, did that include an admission by the defendant to the alleged crime?
Nathan Hockman (13:22):
So any statements made by the defendant at any point in time would be the type of evidence that we will be presenting in court.
(13:31)
I'll take one last question right here.
Speaker 19 (13:32):
Sorry. I have a question.
Nathan Hockman (13:33):
Hold on one second. I just identified this gentleman.
Speaker 19 (13:42):
Oh, I thought you were pointing at me.
Nathan Hockman (13:43):
Sorry.
Speaker 20 (13:43):
We have an estimated time for completion of the autopsy and the information coming from the medical examiner, your office, and to the detectives in the case?
Nathan Hockman (13:45):
We do not have the estimated time that it will take. We know that they're working on it expeditiously, but as to when they deliver it, we do not have that estimated time.
(13:54)
I'll take that one last question back there.
Speaker 19 (13:56):
Sorry. I was just wondering, I know these types of cases are especially difficult. How much do you take into account what the family wants when it comes to charges when you're dealing with a domestic situation like that? And does that factor into whether you will go after life of parole or possibly a death penalty?
Nathan Hockman (14:13):
In these cases, like any of these cases, we will take the thoughts and desires of the family into consideration in making our decision. Thank you all very much.
Speaker 21 (14:24):
[inaudible 00:14:27].