Former KPRC 2 reporter Jake Reiner shared a personal essay about grieving the deaths of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
Former KPRC 2 reporter Jake Reiner is sharing his most personal public account yet of the killing of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer-producer Michele Singer Reiner, describing the last four months as a “living nightmare.”
In a personal essay published Friday on Substack, Reiner recounted the moment his life changed on Dec. 14, 2025, when he got a call from his sister, Romy, while attending a celebration of life for a close friend in Los Angeles.
Article continues below this ad
“It was at that moment I received a call from my sister Romy telling me our father was dead,” Reiner wrote. “Minutes later, she called back telling me our mother was also dead.”
Authorities previously said Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead with multiple sharp force injuries inside their Brentwood home. Their son, Nick Reiner, was arrested that day on suspicion of murder. The case remains ongoing, according to public reports.
Reiner, who worked as a reporter at Houston’s KPRC 2 before later returning to Los Angeles, said the 45-minute ride from downtown to the Westside after learning the news was “unendurable.”
“My world, as I knew it, had collapsed,” he wrote. “I was in a trance.”
Article continues below this ad
The former Houston journalist said no one can truly prepare for losing both parents at once.
“It’s too devastating to comprehend,” he wrote. “I still wake up every morning having to convince myself that, no, it’s not a dream.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 03: Actor/Producer/Director Rob Reiner (L) with his wife Michele and son Jake arrive at the 59th annual Directors Guild Of America Awards held at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on February 3, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
Michael Buckner/Getty Images
Much of the essay focuses less on the crime itself and more on celebrating who his parents were behind closed doors.
Article continues below this ad
Reiner described his mother as his confidant, the emotional center of the family and someone whose support never wavered. He remembered seeing musicals with her, family holidays she organized and the long conversations they shared whenever life became difficult.
“To fully understand what we lost, my mother was the engine, the backbone, and the heart of our entire family,” he wrote.
He said his bond with his father was built through baseball, especially their shared love of the Dodgers. Reiner recalled attending countless games together and taking summer trips to ballparks across Major League Baseball.
“My dad is my hero,” he wrote.
Article continues below this ad
Actor/director Rob Reiner hugs his son Jake Reiner after throwing out the ceremonial pitch prior to a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012 in Los Angeles.
MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-Ne/MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Reiner also reflected on how grief has reshaped everyday life since the killings.
“Every day since then has been horrendous,” he wrote. “Every meeting we take, every person we talk to, every tear we shed, every movement we make is connected to our parents being murdered.”
Still, he said the purpose of writing the essay was to offer insight into what he and his sister have endured while honoring their parents’ lives.
Article continues below this ad
In the caption accompanying the post, Reiner said his first birthday without his parents is one week away.
“In the last four months, I’ve learned a lot about grief,” he wrote. “For anyone dealing with any type of grief and loss, I see you.”
Many Houston viewers know Reiner from his time reporting at KPRC 2, where he worked from January 2016 to August 2018. When news of his parents’ deaths first broke in December, many Houstonians and former colleagues publicly rallied around him.
Article continues below this ad