Rob Reiner Death

Nick Reiner was an unsolvable dilemma for his parents ... so says a substance abuse treatment expert.

Nick Mathews -- the founder and CEO of Southern California-based treatment center Stillwater Behavioral Health -- joined us on "TMZ Live," and we asked him about Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner's son, who is charged with their murders.

For Mathews, Nick presented a treatment provider's worst nightmare ... he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but had been in and out of rehab for years and struggled with substance abuse.

Just listen to Mathews explain all the challenges Nick would present for the rehab centers and doctors tasked with treating him ... there's no quick, easy fix or even a cut-and-dry solution here.

Rob Reiner's and Michele Singer Reiner's bodies have been released from the L.A. County Medical Examiner's custody ... TMZ has learned.

A source with knowledge tells TMZ ... the Reiners' bodies have been released to the family. Details on a service will be released at a later time.

As you know ... Rob and Michele were found dead in their Brentwood home Sunday and their son Nick Reiner has been arrested and charged with their murders.

Denise Richards' estranged husband Aaron Phypers appeared in court Friday to face charges of allegedly injuring Denise ... and he made an eyebrow-raising comparison between his situation and recent tragic events.

We got the 53-year-old actor as he exited L.A.'s Van Nuys courthouse for the first time since being arrested ... and he compared Denise to suspected murderer Nick Reiner.

Watch the video ... he tells us, "I never assaulted her ... this is all show ... she's just playing this as a game. It's like the Me Too movement."

Then, when asked what he thinks her motives are, Aaron answered, "What happened to Rob Reiner recently? There's a lot of influence there, guys. And I'm not calling stuff out, but do a drug test."

Nick Reiner was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and in the weeks leading up to the murder of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, the meds he was taking made him "erratic and dangerous" ... TMZ has learned.

Two sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Nick was under the care of a psychiatrist for mental illness. We're told in the month before the murders, Nick's behavior had gotten "alarming."

He had recently received care at a Los Angeles-based rehab facility that specializes in mental illness and substance abuse. We're told the facility charges $70,000 a month ... and lots of rich, powerful parents send their troubled kids there.

Our sources say 3 to 4 weeks before the murders, doctors changed his meds and he became even more erratic. Our sources say doctors were trying to adjust the medications so Nick stabilized, but it wasn't working.

JB Smoove is reflecting on Rob Reiner's life and work ... saying they’d been planning to link up for a while, but now JB's left with a meetup that never happened, and a moment he’ll always regret.

TMZ caught up with JB at LAX Thursday, and he tells us Rob had veganism on the brain and was planning to hit him up for advice ... but sadly, that conversation never got the chance to happen in person.

You gotta catch the clip -- JB also reflects on how Rob basically saved "Seinfeld," which of course led to the later success of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." And JB reminds us about those rare moments we miss when we let our day-to-day busy lives get in the way of deeper connections.

Nancy Grace says the double homicides of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner are a textbook example of a case that calls for the death penalty ... and that could be bad news for alleged murderer Nick Reiner.

Nancy tells TMZ ... this case is the classic example of when capital punishment should be applied, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman mentioned the death penalty in a recent press conference, so it's being talked about among prosecutors ... but as Nancy explains, a final decision on capital punishment goes way beyond the D.A. office.

New footage shows Nick Reiner walking around in Santa Monica hours before his parents' dead bodies were discovered in their Brentwood home ... and he's heading toward the hotel he checked into.

TMZ obtained surveillance video from a local business on Santa Monica Pier. You see Nick walking down the sidewalk, towards the Pierside Santa Monica hotel.

The video was shot around 4 AM Sunday ... and Nick looks like he's carrying a black backpack and wearing a hat ... just like the video we obtained of him at a Brentwood gas station earlier in the evening.

We don’t know if this video of Nick was shot before or after he allegedly murdered his parents.

What we do know is that he checked into the hotel approximately 6 minutes after he's seen in this footage. Sources with direct knowledge told us no one saw any blood on Nick when he arrived at the hotel at 4:15 AM.

Nick Reiner did NOT get booted from his parents' house the night before Rob and Michele Reiner were murdered in the Brentwood home where they lived with their son ... TMZ has learned.

There has been speculation online Rob kicked Nick out of the house Saturday night after returning from Conan O'Brien's Christmas party.

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ, Nick left on his own accord. We do not know the circumstances under which Nick decided to leave. TMZ broke the story he and Rob got into a heated argument at Conan's party ... but it’s unclear if the exchange continued back at the Reiner residence.

Our sources confirm … Nick was not mentally sound in the period of time leading up to the murders. A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ … Nick's mental instability went beyond consuming illegal substances. We're told prescription drugs "messed with his head."

Nick Reiner appeared noticeably different in the days leading up to the deaths of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner -- coming off as "drained" and "abnormal" ... according to gas station employees who say they’ve known him for years.

TMZ spoke with multiple employees at a Sinclair gas station in Brentwood, a spot they say the Reiner family frequented regularly.

One employee tells us they last saw Nick about two weeks ago, recalling he looked tired and was unusually standoffish.

At the time, Nick purchased a pack of Marlboro Lights, which employees say was routine for him. They add that he did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The son and daughter of Rob and Michele Reiner have broken their silence ... days after their sibling Nick allegedly killed their beloved, iconic Hollywood parents in their Brentwood home.

Jake and Romy Reiner say in a statement first obtained by TMZ ... "Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. 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."

"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."

Nick Reiner -- who is charged with killing his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner -- appeared in court today for the first time since the couple's unspeakable murders.

Nick was seated behind glass in a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday for a very brief appearance ... and he did not enter a plea. His arraignment was continued to Jan. 7 ... he remains held without bail.

Nick was wearing a suicide-prevention smock in the courtroom, according to multiple reports, and before the hearing, the judge ruled that media could not shoot video or snap photos of Nick.

During the hearing, Nick spoke only once ... the judge asked him to confirm he was waiving his right to a speedy arraignment and Nick replied, "Yes, your honor."

An LAPD Robbery-Homicide detective showed up at the hotel where Nick Reiner was staying … looking for a weapon, blood, and other evidence connected to the murders of Rob and Michele Reiner … TMZ has learned.

A law enforcement source, along with two other people with direct knowledge, tell TMZ ... a Robbery-Homicide detective showed up at The Pierside Santa Monica hotel Monday around 1 AM, telling the front desk clerk he was there to do a welfare check on Nick Reiner, who was staying in room 207.

We’re told the detective said he was concerned Nick may have disposed of a weapon connected to a violent crime. The detective also said he believed Nick may have "cleaned up" and "disposed of evidence." We’re told hotel staff took the detective up to room 207, where he searched the room.

Rob and Michele Reiner's son Nick has officially been charged with their murders ... and now there's new video showing what may be Nick's last actions as a free man.

Moments before his arrest, Nick was at a gas station buying a drink, video obtained by ABC7 Los Angeles shows.

Watch the video ... the 32-year-old murder suspect wears a baseball cap and a jacket with a red backpack slung over his left shoulder as he shifts his weight from side to side. He surveys the area before making his beverage selection and heading out to the street, where he was immediately apprehended at about 9:15 PM Sunday.

Surveillance footage shows the moment Nick Reiner was swarmed by police and arrested for allegedly murdering his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner.

The NY Post obtained video from Nick's Sunday arrest near the USC campus in downtown Los Angeles ... and you see Nick standing on the corner when a bunch of police cars pull up, and officers hop out and throw him in a pair of handcuffs.

LAPD released still images from the arrest Monday, but this is the first video to emerge.

Hollywood and the world are reeling after the shocking deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner, and now some of their closest friends -- Billy Crystal, Larry David, Martin Short, Albert Brooks, and more -- are honoring the couple in an emotional personal joint statement.

The comedy icons, who shared decades of friendship and creative history with the Reiner’s, spoke to The Associated Press, praising Rob’s extraordinary career and the artistic lineage he carried forward.

“Absorbing all he had learned from his father Carl and his mentor Norman Lear, Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master story teller. There is no other director who has his range. From comedy to drama to ‘mockumentary’ to documentary he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films,” the group said in their statement.

Nick Reiner's attorney Alan Jackson is getting a close look at the crime scene where Nick's parents -- Rob and Michele -- were stabbed to death ... he's just been spotted visiting the home where the couple's bodies were found by their daughter Sunday.

Jackson was fresh from the courthouse, where Nick WASN'T seen today, because he didn't have medical clearance to appear in court.

Watch the video ... you can see Jackson march down the usually quiet road flanked by news crews, causing a commotion with his arrival. Jackson carries a file with him, which he uses to gesture to his team, possibly instructing them on their first moves.