Crime

As Nick Reiner prepares to make his first court appearance ... TMZ has learned Rob and Michele had been dead for some time before their daughter made the grisly discovery Sunday.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... When police arrived on the scene Sunday afternoon around 3:40 PM, rigor mortis appeared to have set in Rob and Michele’s bodies -- meaning they had been deceased for hours before their daughter Romy arrived.

Romy arrived at the house and found the bodies ... then called police, before calling longtime family friend Billy Crystal.

Police interviewed Romy at the scene, who by then was joined by a female friend ... and we hear she told officers her brother Nick was "dangerous." We're told she also said that Nick was living at the house -- but he was not there when she arrived, insinuating he fled the scene.

Sources tell us ... the scene was something out of a nightmare -- with the bodies butchered … the devastation was described as the actions of a "mad man."

Nick Reiner is calling in the heavies after being arrested for allegedly murdering his famous parents ... because Alan Jackson tells us Nick hired him as his defense attorney.

Alan is one of the most well known criminal defense attorneys out there, and he's no stranger to high-profile cases like this one ... he recently got Karen Read acquitted of murder in Massachusetts.

As you know ... Nick was booked on murder charges after Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead Sunday in their Brentwood home ... and he's being held without bail.

We saw Alan heading into a Los Angeles courthouse Tuesday for some legal proceedings related to Nick's case ... so it's game on.

Sherrone Moore's affair with a Michigan Wolverines staff member, combined with his arrest, has left his former football players feeling "betrayed" ... so says Moore's replacement.

Biff Poggi, the Wolverines' interim coach, shared his thoughts on the matter on Monday as the team prepares for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against the No. 13 Texas Longhorns on December 31.

"It has been a tumultuous time," Poogi said.

Barack and Michelle Obama had plans to meet with Rob and Michele Reiner on Sunday night before it was known they had been savagely murdered in their Los Angeles home.

Michelle sat down Monday with Jimmy Kimmel on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" -- and, at one point, the two started talking about the Reiners ... with Michelle taking a veiled shot at President Trump.

Jimmy kicked things off by pointing out that Barack and Michelle were friends with the Reiners -- and he offered his condolences. Michelle discussed how she and Barack had been chummy with the Reiners for many years, and they were supposed to get together Sunday night just hours after the couple was found dead.

Michelle then took an obvious swipe at Trump for what most people viewed as despicable comments about the Reiners after their murders. Just check out the clip for yourself.

Nick Reiner -- the son of Rob and Michele Reiner, who's been arrested on suspicion of murdering his parents -- stuck out like a sore thumb at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party ... and he was acting out of place.

Sources at the party, which went down Saturday night at Conan's, tell TMZ ... Nick seemed out of place based on how he was dressed and how he was carrying himself.

We're told Nick showed up to the very formal party in a hoodie, while everyone else was wearing nice suits and dresses.

Our sources say Nick roamed around in his sweatshirt, didn't interact with people, kept to himself, and was very reserved ... all of which made some folks feel his behavior was odd.

Tanya Brown -- whose sister, Nicole Brown, was slain in 1994 -- opened up to TMZ about the eerie similarities between Rob and Michele Reiner's killings and the brutal murder of her sister, which sparked the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial.

Tanya tells TMZ ... she saw the words "murder in Brentwood" posted on social media Sunday night, which understandably conjured up old, terrible memories.

As we reported ... Rob and his wife were found Sunday with their throats slit inside their Brentwood, California home.

Tanya said, "The story is very triggering -- beyond triggering. I’ve shed a lot of tears ... it’s very personal to me."

Tennessee Titans star Jeffery Simmons is the latest athlete to fall victim to a burglary ... the 28-year-old star returned home to find his home had been broken into while the team was in San Francisco for their game against the 49ers.

Simmons shared a video of the break-in on Monday, which he says occurred on Sunday at 7:30 PM. In it, you see two men approach the back door of his pad ... before eventually smashing their way in and seemingly taking the camera down.

According to Nashville Police, six suspects were seen smashing out a glass window on video surveillance ... saying “multiple items were taken.”

Nick Reiner -- the son of Rob and Michele Reiner, who's been arrested on suspicion of murdering them -- was missing for hours after his parents were found with their throats slit inside their Brentwood home ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources say ... after Rob and Michele's daughter Romy found their bodies, she noted to police Nick had been living there and was possibly behind the murders.

When police responded to a call for a death investigation around 3:40 PM Sunday, Nick was nowhere to be found. Romy was the one who called 911 and told police her brother was "dangerous" and should be considered a suspect.

Romy told police Nick was not there when she arrived, insinuating he fled the scene. Police finally located and arrested Nick at approximately 9:15 PM Sunday.

Nick is currently in police custody, held without bail.

Rob Reiner and his wife Michele’s deaths have sent shockwaves through Hollywood ... and Donnell Rawlings is opening up to TMZ about the tremendous impact Rob had on the entertainment industry, and how profound the loss of the couple is.

We caught up with the comedian at LAX Monday morning, and he told us that while it’ll be incredibly tough, he hopes Rob’s family and friends can eventually find some understanding of how this tragedy happened.

Catch the full clip -- Donnell looks back on Rob’s groundbreaking career, talking about how he embraced change when others wouldn’t and used his platform to open doors for people along the way.

Donald Trump is doubling down on his jaw-dropping claim that Rob Reiner might still be alive if he'd been nicer about him -- branding the acclaimed director a bad influence on the United States.

Asked Monday in the Oval Office about Republicans blasting his earlier remarks following their tragic deaths, Trump vehemently declared he was no fan of Reiner and re-upped his earlier jab, insisting RR was suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome."

Trump went on to claim Reiner made false statements about him -- including accusations of being controlled by Russia -- making it clear he’s well aware Reiner has long been politically opposed to him and, in Trump’s view, undermining his leadership.

Soledad O'Brien stopped by "TMZ Live" Monday, still reeling from the loss of her collaborator Rob Reiner and his wife Michele ... and Soledad had some choice words for Donald Trump's disparaging post about the late actor-director.

Soledad got to know Rob well while co-hosting the 10-part true-crime podcast series, "Who Killed JFK?"

She tells TMZ, Rob was kind to everyone ... "The person who was taking in the audio, the person who was shooting, the person who was producing, the person who was helping the person who was producing, the assistants ... absolutely the kindest human being."

In fact, Soledad described Rob and his wife as "two really wonderful, kind people," making their gruesome deaths all the more heartbreaking.

"It's so horrific," Soledad said. "I honestly cannot believe it."

Rob Reiner, his wife Michele, and their son Nick attended Conan O'Brien's Christmas party Saturday night. At the party, Rob and Nick got into a "very loud argument," loud enough for many others to hear ... Reiner family sources tell TMZ. We're told Rob and Michele then left the party. We do not know if Nick left as well.

TMZ is the first to report the argument between Rob and Nick before the murders.

Our family sources add … Michele had been anguishing to friends over the last few months that she and Rob were at their wits' end over Nick's mental illness and alleged substance abuse issues, and did not know what to do with their son Nick … saying, "We've tried everything."

As you know ... the legendary actor-director and his wife were found in their L.A.-area house Sunday with their throats slit. Nick was arrested Monday morning and booked for murder ... he's held on $4 million bail.

11:16 AM PT -- Nick Reiner's original $4 million bond has been changed ... he's now being held without bail.

Rob and Michele Reiner's son Nick has been arrested and is being held on $4 million bail, TMZ has learned.

The 32-year-old is in the custody of the Los Angeles Police Department as of Monday morning, according to online records. He was booked at the LAPD jail.

As we reported ... the couple was found by one of their daughters Sunday with their throats slit inside their Los Angeles home. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said Nick is a suspect in the case, and announced his arrest on suspicion of murder.

Rob Reiner and his wife Michele had their throats slit by a family member, possibly after an argument inside their Los Angeles home, leading to their tragic deaths ... TMZ has learned

It's unclear what exactly triggered the violence, which went down Sunday afternoon in Brentwood ... but we're told one of Rob's daughters found her parents dead and told police a family member had killed them. PEOPLE reports the couple's son, Nick, was questioned in connection with the murders. Nick has since been arrested for murder.

Our sources also say the daughter told police the family member "should be a suspect" because they're "dangerous."

TMZ broke the story ... Rob and Michele suffered lacerations consistent with knife wounds, and LAPD's Robbery Homicide Division is investigating the case.

Rob Reiner and his son Nick were on rocky ground long before tragedy struck ... with both publicly hinting at a fractured father-son relationship years before the director and his wife were brutally killed ... crimes Nick is now allegedly linked to.

Back in a 2015 interview while plugging "Being Charlie" -- a film loosely inspired by Nick’s real-life struggles, directed by Rob and written by Nick -- Rob admitted the two butted heads during the writing process, but the clash actually helped him understand his son more ... and said it even made him a better father.

As Rob got emotional, Nick sat stone-faced ... before finally chiming in that their bond came from him watching his dad in his element, doing what Rob did best -- making movies -- adding he probably should’ve kept quiet and learned from him.

Many tributes have poured in following the loss of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, mourning their passing by sharing condolences and fond memories ... but President Donald Trump took a whole other approach, suggesting Rob would still be alive if the director had been nicer to him.

POTUS took to Truth Social to politicize the ghastly event, calling Rob a "tortured and struggling" comedy star.

Trump claimed the homicides occurred "reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS."