Nick Reiner was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and the medications he took left him described as “erratic,” “dangerous,” and “out of his head.”
According to sources, in the weeks leading up to his parents’ deaths, Reiner had been under mental health treatment.
In the month before the murders, his behavior became increasingly alarming.
Reiner had recently completed a stay at a Los Angeles-based rehabilitation facility specializing in mental illness and substance abuse, which charges approximately $70,000 per month. Many affluent families send their troubled children there.
Sources indicate that three to four weeks before the murders, doctors adjusted his medications in an effort to stabilize him, but the change left him even more erratic. One source stated that after the medication adjustment, Reiner was “out of his head.”
Additionally, sources reported that Reiner’s substance abuse was exacerbating his schizophrenia.
The information suggests Reiner may plead not guilty by reason of insanity in court.
On Saturday night, prior to his parents’ deaths, Reiner attended a star-studded holiday party hosted by Conan O’Brien. His concerned parents had requested the event as a way to monitor him.
Guests at the party described Reiner displaying antisocial behavior, including staring at attendees. He reportedly argued loudly with comedian Bill Hader during the gathering.
Reiner’s sister Romy, who discovered her parents’ bodies, told investigators that her brother should be considered a suspect due to his dangerous behavior.
Sources described Reiner as a “ticking time bomb” during this period.
It was also reported that Reiner’s drug use escalated following the parents’ threats to remove him from their home.
For five years, Reiner had lived in his parents’ guesthouse in Los Angeles, where his increasingly erratic and frightening behavior became apparent to those around him.
His parents, Rob and Michele, were discovered dead with their throats slashed in their $13.5 million California mansion on Sunday.
