Actor/Director Rob Reiner found dead in home, apparent 'homicide'

WhatInThe said:
Conan OBrien apparently had to talk guests out calling 911 at his party during the argment the killer had with his parents.

Conan O’Brien stopped guests from calling 911 on Nick Reiner during explosive fight with dad Rob at holiday party: report

I think most hosts don't want the police at their party. But if Reiner is telling people he's scared of his son and had a blowout in public with the suspect I would've booted him from the house after giving him an ultimaum to get treatment or out of his house/off the property.
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A couple of party-goers said that Rob & Michelle took Nick to the party with them because he was acting too strange to be left home alone. If that's true, what a terrible decision. And totally selfish, imo.

The same people said Rob called ahead first, to make sure it was ok w/O'Brien, but O'Brien probably had no idea what Nick might be capable of, and I'd bet Rob didn't go into much detail...just asked if it's ok.
 

Murrmurr said:
A couple of party-goers said that Rob & Michelle took Nick to the party with them because he was acting too strange to be left home alone. If that's true, what a terrible decision. And totally selfish, imo.

The same people said Rob called ahead first, to make sure it was ok w/O'Brien, but O'Brien probably had no idea what Nick might be capable of, and I'd bet Rob didn't go into much detail...just asked if it's ok.
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Probably had too many similar situations with Nick and blew this one off as just another. On the other hand he felt it important to keep an eye on him/bring him with.

Parents in denial a big issue with addiction because they realize too late in too many cases. Sometimes it just takes calling them out on it. I've seen it in family let alone the work place.
 
WhatInThe said:
Parents in denial a big issue with addiction because they realize too late in too many cases. Sometimes it just takes calling them out on it. I've seen it in family let alone the work place.
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Very true.

My baby sister was a pretty hardcore addict. It was heartbreaking to watch until you just quit watching and worrying about it. That's way, way easier for siblings than it is for parents. My dad did finally shut the door behind her for good, but after he had a bad stroke, Mom opened it, and my sister thanked her by robbing them bit by bit over a period of about 5 years.

Jewelry, guns, antiques and heirlooms...freaking kitchen appliances disappeared, if you can believe that! All hocked, sold, and traded for drugs. I kicked her out. Mom just couldn't do it. There were grandchildren, you know? Mom thought she'd make them homeless. (Didn't happen)

Tough times, man.
 

ChiroDoc said:
Read today in the news that Nick R. is schizophrenic, and that a new drug they put him on before the murders made it worse. That's a huge plum for the defense. Insanity, diminished capacity, and the like. I'm wondering now if the kid will ever do time.
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That explains it.

I watched a documentary a few nights ago about Jim Gordon -- the great drummer who played with Eric Clapton, Bonnie and Delany, Joe Cocker, and many other classic rock artists. He was schizophrenic and the voices in his head told him to kill his mother, which he did. He died in prison a few years ago.
 
WhatInThe said:
Have to wonder if the parents had opportunities to force longer term hospitalizations, treatments etc and didn't meaning they might have been indirectly enabling him.
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Parents can't force hospitalizations. It's up to the doctors and even they have to meet standards of the patient being "a danger to himself or others." Nick is a grown man, his parents had no legal right to force anything on him. They had, over Nick's lifetime, managed to get him into rehab literally dozens of times. I don't think we can blame them for either enabling or not trying hard enough with their child.
ChiroDoc said:
Read today in the news that Nick R. is schizophrenic, and that a new drug they put him on before the murders made it worse. That's a huge plum for the defense. Insanity, diminished capacity, and the like. I'm wondering now if the kid will ever do time.
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Oh he'll do time, probably in a lock down psychiatric institution, which in many ways is worse than prison. For one thing prison terms have a time limit but mental institutions don't have to let the patient out until the doctors decide he's cured. So he might be locked up forever.
 
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Della said:
Parents can't force hospitalizations. It's up to the doctors and even they have to meet standards of the patient being "a danger to himself or others." Nick is a grown man, his parents had no legal right to force anything on him. They had, over Nick's lifetime, managed to get him into rehab literally dozens of times. I don't think we can blame them for either enabling or not trying hard enough with their child.

Oh he'll do time, probably in a lock down psychiatric institution, which in many ways is worse than prison. For one thing prison terms have a time limit but mental institutions don't have to let the patient out until the doctors decide he's cured. So he might be locked up forever.
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As an adult I get although if one of the rehabs or doctors the parents paid for recommended additional treatment or evaluation and they wouldn't even discuss it with Nick that's a missed opportunity. Don't how much patient information they were privy too even though they paid. Not calling the police during violent outbursts more often such as at O'Brien's party maybe he would've been forced to see a court appointed md for evaluation. On top the multiple trips to rehab starting at age 15 there were still a few years where they had control
 
Been There said:
Nick Reiner was in and out of rehab facilities at least
18 times for heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine addiction.
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18 times and no one recommended anything different even if a longer stay in rehab? It's rinse repeat.

Sounds like he was trying to appease his parents for what ever but not to actually live a sober life.
 
Regarding the party that Rob and Michele were invited to. Perhaps they would have been better advised to stay home with Nick if he was acting so strangely that they didn't want to leave him on his own? That way at least the public meltdown Nick went through at the party wouldn't have happened, and he may have calmed down. Instead I suspect that once his public meltdown happened, he blamed his parents for his embarrassment at acting up in front of strangers and later on, took it out on them.
 
BJintheUK said:
Regarding the party that Rob and Michele were invited to. Perhaps they would have been better advised to stay home with Nick if he was acting so strangely that they didn't want to leave him on his own?
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Yeah, I commented about that...way up there ^ somewhere. Mr & Mrs Reiner just shouldn't have gone to the party. They decided to take Nick in and take care of him, keep him safe, keep him off drugs and whatever. You're gonna miss a few parties when you decide to do that.

As more info comes out about Nick, it's obvious what the Reiners were doing was futile. I'm sure they loved him dearly, they probably believed that Nick's case was special and rehab and psych counselors had it all wrong. And they probly struggled with guilt as well, and the guilt would quadruple if they put him out on the street or had him committed.

An involuntary commitment would've been the way to go. But if they ever discussed it, you can bet Nick talked his way out of it. I don't doubt he promised them the moon hundreds of times.
 
The latest reports are saying that there was no blow-up at the party. In fact most people who know the family say that Nick did not have a history of violence.

Sadly, Nick's case is not uncommon. Young people with severe mental illness often don't qualify for involuntary commitment because they aren't believed to be a danger to themselves or others. Then when they finally do something violent enough to qualify for hospitalization to get the help they need, they are taken to prison rather than hospitalized.

Nick was probably using drugs for many years in an effort to self-medicate and relieve the symptoms of his illness. Of course drug rehab didn't work because what he actually needed was proper medication, not just giving up street drugs.

I don't understand why people are blaming the Reiners for not doing more. They tried everything that was in their power, different rehabs with different methods, different counselors with different styles. Parents can't cure their kids of a brain disease just by wishing. It was not their fault.
 
Della said:
Parents can't force hospitalizations. It's up to the doctors and even they have to meet standards of the patient being "a danger to himself or others." Nick is a grown man, his parents had no legal right to force anything on him. They had, over Nick's lifetime, managed to get him into rehab literally dozens of times. I don't think we can blame them for either enabling or not trying hard enough with their child.

Oh he'll do time, probably in a lock down psychiatric institution, which in many ways is worse than prison. For one thing prison terms have a time limit but mental institutions don't have to let the patient out until the doctors decide he's cured. So he might be locked up forever.
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Well, you can be sure it'll be a sensational trial--- possibly along the lines of O.J. or the Menendez brothers. The trial will be a long time off though.
 
What does society do with someone like Nick Reiner? He's obviously disconnected from reality and not entirely responsible for his actions. Do we just lock them up with hardened criminals and let them fend for themselves until somebody attacks them, which is what happens quite often with schizophrenics in prison. I hate what he did to Carl Reiner and his wife, but he has a serious mental illness.
 
WhatInThe said:
18 times and no one recommended anything different even if a longer stay in rehab? It's rinse repeat.

Sounds like he was trying to appease his parents for what ever but not to actually live a sober life.
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I have a friend in California that has some type of job on movie sets. He overheard Reiner telling one of the costars of a movie Reiner was helping to produce that Nick and him argue almost daily. The only time they didn’t argue was when Nick wasn’t home. Reiner also said he would be fine if his son would leave home. The fellow he was talking to told Reiner his son wasn’t going anywhere. Those type of people need to stay close to the money.
 
Been There said:
I have a friend in California that has some type of job on movie sets. He overheard Reiner telling one of the costars of a movie Reiner was helping to produce that Nick and him argue almost daily. The only time they didn’t argue was when Nick wasn’t home. Reiner also said he would be fine if his son would leave home. The fellow he was talking to told Reiner his son wasn’t going anywhere. Those type of people need to stay close to the money.
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I've seen similar situations where a lifetime alkies/addicts would always wind up in their parents house through 50 years of age kissing butt and lying their butt off when it came to getting their act together. People think these battles are won/lost when a child is their teens but it's the enabling of adult children that really can make things worse.

The money and need to manipulate people into giving it to them is what makes addicts excellent actors. liars and grifters. They know what buttons to press with parents in particular.
 
I can realistically state that unless a Marine or Army soldier has had multiple deployments overseas, he is unlikely to have “started” a drug habit, which can and will segue into an addiction. For these people that do become addicted, the Marines does offer a program to help the Marine to get clean. We have a couple of programs depending on the severity of the Marine’s situation.
 
RambleTamble said:
What does society do with someone like Nick Reiner? He's obviously disconnected from reality and not entirely responsible for his actions. Do we just lock them up with hardened criminals and let them fend for themselves until somebody attacks them, which is what happens quite often with schizophrenics in prison. I hate what he did to Carl Reiner and his wife, but he has a serious mental illness. didn't have a big homeless problem
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Back before the 1970's we didn't have hordes of homeless people and overflowing prisons because we had mental institutions for the the seriously mentally ill. Deinstitutionalization started all this.

We need to admit the failure of deinstitutionalization and reopen hospitals, sanitariums, and homes for the mentally ill. We must commit them and keep them until they are stabilized on medication and can re-enter society. Those who can't be recovered enough to live on their own or with their families may have to spend the rest of their lives in the institutions. It sounds cruel but it is much better than the streets, safer for them and for others.

Other countries do much better. We have failed these people who are ill through no fault of their own.

Treatment Advocacy Center
 
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