Medical examiner confirms cause of death in Rob and Michele Reiner case

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has confirmed the cause of death in the Rob and Michele Reiner case

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has ruled that filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer Michele Reiner, died from multiple sharp force injuries, officially classifying their deaths as a homicide.

In a report released Wednesday, the examiner said both victims sustained multiple sharp force injuries and listed no other contributing causes, confirming December 14, 2025, as the official date of death and addressing earlier uncertainty about when the couple were killed. Authorities said the findings align with initial statements from law enforcement and prosecutors.

The confirmation comes as the Reiners’ youngest son made his first court appearance on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths. The 32-year-old was arrested by LAPD hours after the couple’s bodies were discovered in the master bedroom of their Brentwood home by their daughter on the first night of Hanukkah.

Prosecutors have said a conviction could carry life imprisonment without parole, or possibly the death penalty under special-circumstance provisions. The defendant did not enter a plea during a brief hearing Wednesday and is expected back in court on January 6.

In a joint statement, the Reiners’ children called the loss “horrific and devastating,” saying their parents were also their closest friends. Investigators noted the case remains open, with a more detailed medical examiner’s report expected in the coming months.