The recent release of official documentation has provided a chillingly precise timeline regarding the final moments of legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer Michele Singer Reiner. According to the death certificate records made public by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the couple succumbed to their injuries within “minutes” of a violent encounter at their Brentwood residence on December 14, 2025.
The documents, obtained by major news outlets including People and Fox News, officially classify the manner of death as homicide. Specifically, the certificates list the cause of death for both individuals as “multiple sharp force injuries” inflicted “with [a] knife, by another.” This confirmation follows days of speculation regarding the nature of the attack that claimed the lives of the 78-year-old director and his 70-year-old wife.
The records further detail the exact moments the victims were discovered by their daughter, Romy Reiner. Rob was located first at approximately 3:45 p.m., while Michele was found just sixty seconds later at 3:46 p.m. In a somber clerical detail, Michele’s certificate recorded her marital status as “widowed,” indicating the medical examiner’s determination that her husband had predeceased her by a thin margin of time.
Public officials have expressed the gravity of the loss, with Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell describing the double murder as a “very, very tragic incident.” In a joint statement released by their surviving children, Romy and Jake Reiner, the family shared the depth of their grief, stating, “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day.” The siblings added, “The horrific and devastating loss of our parents… is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
The legal proceedings against their 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, are currently moving forward. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman confirmed that Nick faces two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances. “These charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty,” Hochman stated during a press conference.
As the investigation continues, the Reiner family has requested that “speculation be tempered with compassion and humanity.” The death certificates also reveal that the couple has since been cremated, with their remains returned to their son, Jake.
