Iconic filmmaker Rob Reiner and his longtime wife were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home in what police are investigating as a double homicide. Investigators are eyeing the couple's troubled adult son as a potential person of interest, according to law enforcement sources.
Police said the bodies of a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman were identified as Reiner and his wife on Sunday night. Investigators believe the couple suffered fatal knife injuries, according to law enforcement sources. Sources said the couple's 32-year-old son, screenwriter Nick Reiner, is being treated as a person of interest in the fatal stabbing. Investigators believe a knife was used in the attack.
Helpless at the Time of Death
Detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department told ABC7 that the deaths were being treated as homicides, with a heavy police presence surrounding the home on Sunday evening. A spokesperson for Reiner's family later confirmed that the couple had died.
"It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner," they said. "We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time."
A neighbor told ABC7 that Larry David and Billy Crystal — who starred in Reiner's beloved rom-com "When Harry Met Sally" — stopped by the home separately. The neighbor said Crystal appeared deeply shaken and looked as though he was on the verge of tears before leaving.
Speaking at a press conference, LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said investigators had not yet identified a suspect in the killings.
"We're going to try to speak to every family member that we can to get to the facts of this investigation," Hamilton continued.
Son Is Prime Suspect
Hamilton said the bodies were still inside the house, explaining that officers were waiting for a warrant to reenter and formally begin their investigation after confirming there was no ongoing danger. He added that the home remained exactly as it was when police first arrived and found the bodies.
The LAPD declined to officially identify the victims, noting that confirmation would come from the Los Angeles County Coroner.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics were called to the mansion on Chadbourne Avenue at 3:38 p.m. Within minutes of arriving, firefighters contacted LAPD officers, reporting what they described as an "ambulance death investigation."
Reiner's daughter, Romy, is said to live across the street with her children.
In a statement, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was "heartbroken" by the couple's deaths, describing the loss as devastating not only for the city, but for the country as well.
"Rob Reiner's contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice," Bass said
However, Reiner's son Nick remains the prime suspect. Nick has been open about his struggles with drug addiction and periods of homelessness earlier in his life. "I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun," he told People in an interview in 2016.
Reiner was best known for directing some of the most beloved films of the 1980s and '90s, such as "When Harry Met Sally," "The Princess Bride", "This Is Spinal Tap," and "A Few Good Men."
He originally became a household name as Mike "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitcom "All in the Family," a role that earned him two Emmy Awards and launched his storied career in entertainment.
