The children of slain filmmaking couple Rob and Michele Reiner broke their silence Wednesday with their first official statement regarding the double murder of their parents that occurred over the weekend.
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” Jake and Romy Reiner said in a statement through a family spokesperson. “The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
Their brother, Nick Reiner, has been charged with first-degree murder for killing the couple. He appeared in a Los Angeles court Wednesday without entering a plea.
“We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life,” the statement continued, without directly mentioning the alleged involvement of their brother. “We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave.”
Romy discovered her parents’ bodies in their Southern California home on Sunday afternoon. Authorities later confirmed that they’d been stabbed to death with a knife.
Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested Sunday night, roughly 15 miles from the crime scene. He remains held without bail.
Rob Reiner began his career as an actor, with credits that included the hit sitcom “All in the Family,” before directing iconic films like “This Is Spinal Tap,” “The Princess Bride” and “When Harry Met Sally.”
Michele was also an actor as well as a photographer and film producer. She and Rob, who were married for 36 years, worked on a number of projects together, most recently “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.”