One loveless night in Los Angeles three weeks ago, Nick Reiner appears to have killed his mother and father. That’s an act too depraved for most sane men to commit—which could be a key to Reiner’s defense.
News reports suggest that Reiner was diagnosed years ago with schizophrenia and that his medications had recently been changed. For undisclosed medical reasons, he was not cleared to attend his first court appearance. His numerous rehab stints for drug addiction are well documented, and he has described himself as homeless for periods in his life.
As a result, many expect Reiner to plead insanity at his arraignment, now scheduled for January 7. But how does the law define insanity, and could Reiner win an insanity defense?
First, a few facts. Much remains unknown, but late Sunday afternoon, December 14, the film director Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 70, were found by their daughter Romy in their Brentwood mansion, stabbed to death. Nick, 32, had been living in a guesthouse on his parents’ estate, but was not there when his sister arrived.
The night before, Nick and his parents attended a holiday party thrown by Conan O’Brien, where Nick behaved erratically and quarreled with his father, according to some reports. After the party, just before midnight, video footage reportedly shows Nick walking near his parents’ property.
