Nick Reiner’s surprising alleged double homicide of his dad and mom has shaken Hollywood to its core, however has additionally been difficult by reviews of him affected by schizophrenia.
The 32-year-old one-time screenwriter was lately identified with the situation and taking new treatment which was making him “out of his head” within the weeks earlier than the murders, in accordance with web site TMZ.
Since then it has been speculated the diagnoses may have contributed to his flipping and killing filmmaker Rob Reiner, 78, and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, 70, with a knife on the evening of December 13. He has but to enter a plea at court docket.
Though the occasions appear unprecedented, there are eerie parallels with the case of one other drug addicted son of Hollywood royalty, who additionally went off the rails and attacked folks with a knife, which offers hints at what may occur subsequent.
Like Reiner, Redmond O’Neal was born into fame, because the son of Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O’Neal. He was additionally hooked on medicine from a younger age and was out and in of rehab. In 2018 he went on a brutal knife rampage throughout Los Angeles, leaving two males stabbed, one within the face, and leading to expenses of tried homicide, assault with a lethal weapon, making felony threats and battery.
When his psychological well being was evaluated, it confirmed O’Neal was struggling schizophrenia, bipolar dysfunction and delinquent character dysfunction.
When his case got here to court docket, the choose was pressured to repeatedly halt proceedings when medical consultants testified that he couldn’t meaningfully help in his personal protection — a requirement for trial.
What adopted was greater than a 12 months of authorized limbo as O’Neal was shuttled between courtrooms, psychiatric hospitals and jail cells because the court docket wrestled with whether or not the case may even transfer ahead.
He has since been institutionalized at Patton State Hospital in Los Angeles.
“The way in which the California penal code is, you may solely be incompetent to face trial for 2 years – then they both commit you long-term or drop the fees,” California-based forensic psychologist Dr. Natalie Sobel instructed The Publish.
Fawcett died in 2009 from most cancers and Ryan O’Neal in 2023 from coronary heart failure. Redmond attended his mom’s funeral below police supervision, however not his fathers. He stays below California State care.
Nevertheless, after seven years the court docket has dominated he has returned to competency and the tried homicide expenses in opposition to him are transferring ahead, with a listening to set for January.
“He has behaved himself fully appropriately whereas at Patton State and is a mannequin inmate. We’ll see how the case performs out, it’s our hope we will resolve this matter with the District Lawyer,” O’Neal’s legal professional Dana Cole instructed The Publish.
If Reiner’s attorneys elevate comparable considerations about their consumer, competency evaluations may additionally delay his case for years, sources instructed The Publish.
Nevertheless, Dr. Sobel additionally identified that relating to psychological well being points, the California authorized system can have many various outcomes.
Reiner was additionally in a greater place than O’Neal when his alleged crimes occurred.
“[Nick Reiner is] a wise man who has made movies and did press excursions, and he was purposeful sufficient to attend a celebration the evening earlier than the killings,” identified Deborah Denno, a professor of legislation at Fordham Regulation Faculty, to The Publish.
“The authorized customary for incompetency is whether or not or not you may perceive the character of proceedings.”
Reiner was being handled by a psychiatrist for his situation — however within the month earlier than the murders, his habits grew to become “alarming” as medical doctors switched his treatment, sources instructed TMZ.
About three to 4 weeks earlier than his dad and mom had been discovered stabbed to demise of their Brentwood mansion, his prescription was altered, making him “erratic and harmful,” the sources claimed to the outlet.
“That he’s schizophrenic, that is one thing that might be related (to a authorized argument in his protection) if his treatment might be related to violence or setting him off,” famous Denno.
Within the case of his dad and mom’ slaughter, Nick — who has two surviving siblings, Jake, 34, and Romy, 28, and a half sibling Tracy, 61 — is going through two counts of first-degree homicide and the District Lawyer can pursue the demise penalty.
Professor Denno instructed The Publish the primary his authorized group will doubtless be specializing in is to take that off the desk.
“That’s going to be the rapid, major objective,” she speculated.
“He would possibly find yourself agreeing to a plea cut price. his attorneys would need to keep away from a trial in any respect prices,” she claimed.
If the case does go to trial, Professor Denno stated Reiner’s attorneys would have a variety of doable defenses to work with, together with madness and lowered capabilities primarily based on his psychological sickness and drugs adjustments.
Nevertheless, Dr. Sobel stated solely 25% of circumstances the place the defendant pleads not responsible by motive of madness have a lead to favor of the defendant.
“It’s not a simple protection to pursue, the authorized customary may be very advanced, it’s not simply whether or not somebody can inform proper from mistaken, however whether or not you realize one thing is morally mistaken … Somebody will be psychotic or mentally in poor health and nonetheless be sane, within the eyes of the legislation.
“Being excessive on medicine isn’t sufficient to legally meet the standards for a Not Responsible by Purpose of Madness protection in California.”
For his half, Reiner’s high-profile legal professional, Alan Jackson, has known as the case “a devastating tragedy” however not given a lot else away, solely urging folks to not rush to judgment or bounce to conclusions and to “respect that the system and its course of deserves and that the household deserves.”
