Rob and Michele Reiner’s children break silence on parents’ death
Rob and Michele Reiner’s children Romy and Jake have broken their silence on their parents' death, sharing an emotional joint message honouring the late filmmaker and his wife - who they described as their 'best friends'.
The couple's bodies were discovered at their Los Angeles apartment on Sunday (14 December), having sustained apparent stab wounds.
Police confirmed that a family member had been brought in for questioning after being linked to the pair's deaths, later announcing their 32-year-old son Nick Reiner had been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
Nick is the middle child of Rob and Michele, who also shared son Jake, 34, and daughter Romy, 28.
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Both Jake and Romy have now spoken out about their 'devastating' loss, thanking the public for their support.
In a statement to NBC, they said: "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."
They added: "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."
Rob's adopted daughter Tracy - the biological daughter of his ex-wife Penny Marshall - previously said she was 'in shock' over the news.
"I came from the greatest family ever," Tracy told NBC News. "I don’t know what to say."
Nick - who will be arraigned on 7 January, according to his lawyer Alan Jackson - did not appear in court yesterday due to unspecified health reasons, and has not entered a plea.
However, he did appear in court today, where he was asked if he understood he has the right to a speedy trial by judge Theresa McGonigle - to which he simply responded: "Yes, your honour."
Appearing outside court earlier, Jackson said: “There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case.”
He added: “We are set for January 7 for an arraignment. That’s the next court date, and that’s all I have to say at this point.
“There may be more at some other point, but today we rest on where we stand procedurally, which is a continuance of arraignment.
“Nothing happened today substantively, we’ll be back for an arraignment in the same department on the 7th of January.”
Jess Hardiman