Nick Reiner had schizophrenia and was struggling badly, and his new medication was making him "out of his head" in the weeks before he allegedly killed his father, Hollywood icon Rob Reiner, and his mother, Michele, before being arrested from a hotel in Los Angeles, according to a report.
The accused killer was being treated by a psychiatrist as his mental health rapidly deteriorated in the months leading up to the deaths of his parents, who were found stabbed on Sunday, sources told TMZ. People close to the situation said Nick's behavior had grown increasingly "alarming" in recent weeks, raising serious concerns before the tragic outcome, according to the report.
Mental Health Always in Question
Nick had been staying at a high-end Los Angeles rehab facility that specializes in substance abuse treatment, which reportedly costs around $70,000 a month, according to reports. In the weeks leading up to the alleged killings, doctors are said to have adjusted his medication — a change that sources claim left him increasingly unstable, with one person describing him as being "out of his head."
The night before the deaths, Nick's parents reportedly brought him along to a star-studded holiday party hosted by Conan O'Brien because they were worried about his condition and wanted to keep a close watch on him.
Several guests at the A-list event said Nick appeared withdrawn and unsettling, allegedly staring at people and later getting into a loud argument with Reiner.
Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer, had specifically asked if Nick could attend the party because they were deeply concerned about his mental state, sources told Rolling Stone.
Witnesses also claimed that at one point during the evening, Nick got involved in a tense exchange with comedian Bill Hader.
Always a Threat
Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead in their $13 million California mansion on Sunday, their throats slit in what investigators described as a brutal scene. When Nick was arrested, his sister Romy, 28, who found their parents' bodies, reportedly told police that her brother "should be a suspect," warning that he was "dangerous."
In the aftermath of the alleged killings, The Daily Mail reported that people close to Nick had long viewed him as a "ticking time bomb."
Sources said his struggles with drugs had worsened after his parents threatened to force him out of the house.
The troubled 32-year-old had been living in a guesthouse on his parents' Los Angeles property for the past five years. During that time, insiders claimed his behavior grew increasingly erratic and, at times, frightening.
"Nick had been living in their guesthouse, the same one he destroyed more than once, but it had been like a revolving door all his adult life," a source close to Reiner told the Daily Mail on Monday.
"He would do meth and not sleep for days and then have outbursts, breaking things, punching walls.
"He was a ticking time bomb. His drug use was getting worse and his parents wanted him out," claimed the friend.
Nick made his first court appearance on Wednesday, where he was formally charged in connection with the killings of his parents.
