What followed would turn a disturbing social episode into the opening act of a criminal investigation.
At approximately 4 a.m., Nick Reiner checked into the Pierside Hotel in Santa Monica. Later that day, hotel staff discovered a shower “full of blood” inside his room, along with bedsheets hanging over the window, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
That same afternoon, at around 3:40 p.m., Rob and Michele were found dead inside their Brentwood home by their daughter, Romy, 28, who lives across the street.
Nick has been charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of his parents, and Variety reports the charges carry a maximum sentence of life without parole or the death penalty.
“Prosecuting these cases involving family members are some of the most challenging and most heart-wrenching cases that this office faces because of the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes involved,” Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles district attorney said at a press conference.
At the time, “no decision” had been made about the death penalty.
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