Rob Reiner’s son and suspected murderer Nick Reiner has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, according to a report from TMZ. Reiner, 32, was reportedly taking medication for the disorder that made him “erratic and dangerous” in the weeks before his parents’ murder.
Nick Reiner attended a Christmas party hosted by Conan O’Brien the evening before the tragedy, where, onlookers say, his behavior was disruptive, culminating in a heated exchange with parents Rob and Michele. Both were discovered with knife wounds hours later by their youngest daughter, Romy, 28.
Sources told TMZ that Reiner had been getting treatment from a specialized facility to address his addiction and schizophrenia at the same time. He was seeing a psychiatrist for the illness, who had changed his medication about three to four weeks before the murders in an effort to stabilize the troubled Reiner.
One source told the site that Nick was “out of his head” after the medication change. Others said his continuous drug use at the time only exacerbated the schizophrenia.
Nick Reiner was seen for the first time publicly on Wednesday when he appeared in court, wearing a suicide smock. His attorney insisted he not be photographed in it. Instead of entering a plea for the murder charges against him, Reiner’s attorney asked for a delayed arraignment. He will remain in jail without bail until Jan. 7.
