Nick Reiner had been under conservatorship for years before the murders connected to Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner.
More information regarding Nick Reiner's struggle with mental illness has surfaced. Two persons with knowledge of the legal arrangement told The New York Times that the 32-year-old, who is accused of killing his parents Rob and Michele Reiner, was placed in a mental health conservatorship from 2020 to 2021.
The conservatorship terminated in 2021, according to a Los Angeles Superior Court clerk who spoke with the outlet. The court has been contacted by news organizations, but they have not received a response.
Steven Baer, Nick's appointed conservator and a licensed fiduciary who oversees affairs and client care, told the New York Times that mental illness "is an epidemic that is widely misunderstood and this is a horrible tragedy," but he would not elaborate.
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According to The New York Times, Nick was placed under an L.P.S. conservatorship, which is based on the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act of 1967. These conservatorships are usually started by a physician or start after an involuntary psychiatric hospitalization.
In general, the California Judicial Branch declares, "Mental health conservatorships are for people with serious mental illness who need special care. Family members or other private parties cannot start a mental health conservatorship. Typically, treatment staff at the hospital where the person is receiving care can start the process.”
Nick has been open about his battles with substance misuse over the years, which started when he was a youngster and resulted in eighteen stays in treatment. In 2015, the screenwriter and his father collaborated to produce the semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie, which shows a parent attempting to support his son in overcoming his addiction.
"It's reflected in the movie where the father character talks about how he didn't know what to do, so he listened to anybody who had a desk and a diploma," in 2016, Rob tells Entertainment Tonight. "I made mistakes and that I didn't go with my gut instinct and the feel. And I know Nick better than some expert who's never met him."
The director of Spinal Tap actually continued by expressing regret for the way he had previously dealt with Nick's addiction.
"Had I listened to my own instincts, I would have done a lot better by Nick. But you do what you do," he added. "You want to keep him safe. So, you do what they tell you. You feel you're at their mercy. But what I feel after all of this is it's not about punishing. If somebody is struggling and has difficulties, you don't punish them for that. And I think a lot of these programs feel like the kid is being punished. And I don't think that's a great way to go."
Nick, for his part, claimed he didn't think his parents knew how to deal with him during his difficult adolescence.
"I didn't go to either of them 'cause neither of them believed a word I said," he informed media outlets. "But it was sort of comforting to talk to [my mom] because she was a little bit more in touch with her emotions and how she felt about it."
In December 2025, Nick was finally taken into custody and charged with two charges of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders. He is charged with using a knife to stab Rob and Michele at their Los Angeles residence. He hasn't made a plea yet.
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