Reiner Family Friend in Prison Says Rob and Michele Would Want Nick to ‘Get Help’ After Double Murder

A friend of the late Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner said that he believes the couple would want their son Nick Reiner — who is charged in connection to their murders — to get help.

“They’re the type of people who would never want to see anyone suffer,” Nanon Williams, who has been in prison for over three decades for a murder he claims he did not commit, told People in an interview published Friday, January 23.

Williams reportedly became friends with the legendary Hollywood director, 78, and his wife, 70, after they attended a production of the one-man show Lyrics From Lockdown, inspired by his story, in 2016.

“They gave life to Nick. They nurtured him. They understood him better than anyone,” Williams said of the couple’s 32-year-old son, who has openly discussed his struggles with substances and was reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia before the December family tragedy.

“They also understood, and openly shared, that he had his own mental challenges for many years,” Williams continued. “They would have wanted him to get help, and right now, no one knows what that help looks like.”

Williams called Rob and Michele “a living love story,” adding: “They were people who had joy. They were people who gave hope. And hope only exists for the future. They loved capturing the details of life — and they gave that. They showed love.”

As previously reported, the When Harry Met Sally… director and his wife were found in their California home with fatal stab wounds on December 14. Prior to their killings, the Reiners reportedly attended a holiday party at the home of Conan O’Brien, and it is believed Rob engaged in an argument with his son.

After the Reiners were found dead in their home, Nick was located and arrested by police hours later at approximately 9:15 p.m. local time near the University of Southern California campus.

He was initially represented by high-profile attorney Alan Jackson, but during a January 7 court appearance, Jackson withdrew from the case. Nick was then appointed a public defender, and his arraignment was postponed to February 23.

Nick has not yet entered a plea.

On January 7, Jackson reiterated his belief in his former client’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 said. “Print that. We wish him the very very best moving forward.”