Some of the celebs and higher executives gathered at Conan O’Brien’s annual holiday party on December 13th, and they are likely to be called to testify in the first-degree murder trial of Nick Reiner, especially if he pleads not guilty by reason of insanity in the fatal stabbing of his parents, legendary director Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner.
Rob and Michele Reiner brought their long-troubled 32-year-old son along to the party, where he reportedly displayed unsettling, asocial and erratic behavior, asking some attendees if they were “famous.”
Conan O’ Brien guests will seemingly testify
Guests included Jane Fonda and Bill Hader, the latter of whom had an awkward encounter with Nick Reiner. A “mortified” Rob Reiner reportedly argued with his son about his behavior before they and his wife left the party.
It is believed that several hours later, early on Dec. 14, Nick Reiner attacked his parents in their Brentwood bedroom, causing “multiple sharp force injuries” that led to their deaths within minutes, according to Deadline, citing Los Angeles County Department of Public Health documents.
Given reports that Nick Reiner was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and struggled with long-term drug addiction, his mental health and mindset at the time of the attack are likely to be central issues in the case, especially if it goes to trial. Witnesses who were with Nick Reiner in the hours before the killings have become crucial.
“It’s very likely that some people from that party are going to end up on a witness list, either for the defense or the prosecution,” said R.J. Dreiling, a criminal defense attorney who was a former senior prosecutor in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Dreiling added that police also would want guests’ statements about what they observed about Reiner’s behavior.
“If (Reiner) was exhibiting mental health issues, (the party guests) end up on the defense list,” Dreiling continued. “If he appeared to have his bearings straight, like, he was able to interact with people and have a straightforward conversation and was not hallucinating, he might end up on the prosecution side. It’s also highly possible you will have some people from the party on the defense list, and some on the prosecution list.”
Reiner was diagnosed in 2020 with schizoaffective disorder, a condition that can involves mania, depression and the delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking associated with schizophrenia. TMZ also has reported that his doctors, for reasons that have yet to be disclosed, recently changed his medication recently and he become unstable.
The couple had expressed concern about leaving him home alone, which is the reason they asked if he could accompany them to O’Brien’s Christmas party. But once at the party, he made other guests feel “uneasy,” and his argument with his father prompted some guests to wonder if they should call 911. Before leaving the party, Reiner reportedly told friends he was “was petrified” that Nick could hurt him.
