Fresh footage has surfaced, offering a glimpse into the aftermath of Nick Reiner's parents' tragic demise. A recently unveiled video captures the 32-year-old at a gas station convenience store in Los Angeles on December 14, hours before his arrest for the heinous murder of his parents—Hollywood director Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70.
In the security camera footage, Nick can be seen strolling into an ARCO station in Exposition Park, the evening after the grim discovery of their bodies in their Brentwood, California home. The screenwriter, dressed in a green and black windbreaker, a baseball cap, and carrying a red backpack, enters the convenience store, exits briefly, re-enters, navigates to the drink section, and purchases a Gatorade. He then exits the building and is seen strolling across the street. In a subsequent video, Nick is visible in the distance on the corner opposite the gas station as police arrive. He raises his arms as they take him into custody at around 9:15 p.m.
Two days later, Nick was formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder, with a special circumstance of multiple murders, as announced by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office during a press conference on December 16. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole or the death penalty. Nathan J. Hochman, the District Attorney, stated during the press conference, "No decision has been made regarding the death penalty we have requested," emphasizing that the charges are simply charges and adding, "Charges are not evidence."
Nick has not yet entered a plea and is being represented by attorney Alan Jackson. The evening before Rob and Michele's bodies were found, the couple had attended Conan O'Brien's Christmas party with Nick. During the party, he engaged in a heated argument with his father and was disruptive to guests, sources close to the situation revealed to NBC News.
The tragedy has shattered the hearts of Rob and Michele's children—Jake Reiner, 34, and Romy Reiner, 27—who broke their silence on the killings on December 17, expressing their gratitude for the support they've received. "Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day," they said in a statement obtained by NBC News. "The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren't just our parents; they were our best friends."
They added, "We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life. We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave."
Rob's adopted daughter Tracy Reiner, whom he had during his marriage to late ex-wife Penny Marshall, shared her own reaction with NBC News on December 14: "I came from the greatest family ever. I don't know what to say. I'm in shock."
