Jake and Romy ‘Feel Like They Lost Their Brother as Well’ as Their Parents, Family Friend Reveals

A family friend has given insight into how Jake and Romy Reiner are coping one month after their parents were stabbed to death and their brother Nick was arrested and charged with the murders.

“They’re private in their life, but they explained to me about how they lost their parents,” Nanon Williams, a Texas inmate who was befriended by Rob and Michele Reiner nearly a decade ago, told People in a story published on Tuesday, January 13.

“And in some ways, they feel like they lost their brother as well,” added Williams, who has been incarcerated for 34 years for a murder he says he didn’t commit. “So they explained to me exactly how they’re feeling.”

According to the NBC News, the Reiners met Williams, 51, after seeing a production of Lyrics From Lockdown, a spoken-word multimedia performance based partially on his writings. He “became like family,” Romy — who referred to him as a “big brother” — told the outlet on January 5.

The day before, both Romy, 29, and Jake, 34, wrote emails to Williams about their parents’ December 14 murders, he revealed.

“It made me smile to hear from them, but at the same time, it made tears fall, because I know what they’re going through,” Williams told People. “I know the struggles they face, and I try to imagine the horror that particularly Romy saw. It’s heartbreaking.”

(Romy reportedly found her parents’ bodies, per TMZ.)

“What’s amazing is, despite what they’re going through and how they’re feeling, they’re also showing love. They’re doing exactly the same thing their parents did,” he added. “Rob was a leader, and Michele wasn’t his sidekick; she was his partner. I also know that Romy and Jake, too, they’ll be leaders. I think many people already know that.”

Nick has not yet entered a plea. His attorney, Alan Jackson, stepped down from the case on Wednesday, January 7, but reiterated his belief in Nick’s innocence.

“What we’ve learned and you can take this to the bank, is that pursuant to the laws of this state, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder,” he told reporters. “Print that. We wish him the very very best moving forward.”