Nick Reiner looked ‘drained’ days before Rob and Michele Reiner were killed, witnesses said
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Nick Reiner’s behavior in the days leading up to his parents’ deaths struck longtime acquaintances as deeply out of character. Employees at a Brentwood gas station said Reiner appeared “drained” and unusually withdrawn in the weeks before Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner were found murdered inside their home on Sunday.
Those observations have taken on added significance following Nick Reiner’s arrest and the filing of first-degree murder charges against him.
Gas station employees recall Nick Reiner’s unusual behavior
Multiple employees at a Sinclair gas station in Brentwood told TMZ that Nick Reiner, 32, looked noticeably different the last time they saw him. According to staff, the station had been a regular stop for the Reiner family for years.
One employee said Reiner stopped by the station roughly two weeks before the killings and appeared tired, quiet, and standoffish, a stark shift from his usual demeanor. The worker described the interaction as brief and lacking the casual friendliness Reiner had previously shown.
During that visit, Reiner purchased a pack of Marlboro Lights, which employees said was routine for him. Staff emphasized that there were no signs he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, noting instead that he seemed emotionally depleted.
Another employee said the change was especially noticeable because Reiner had been friendly and talkative as recently as two months earlier.
“He used to come in, say hi, and make small talk,” the employee recalled. “This time, he didn’t really engage.”
Surveillance footage places Nick Reiner near scene hours earlier
Surveillance footage later obtained by the New York Post showed Nick Reiner walking through the same gas station in the early hours of Sunday morning, just hours before Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were discovered dead in their Brentwood residence.
What was Nick Reiner thinking strolling around in the streets just hours before the slaughter of his parents?
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) December 17, 2025
This gas station is on St. Vincent's Boulevard, just about a half of a mile from Rob Reiner and Michele's home on Chadbourne Avenue in Brentwood.
How premeditated was… pic.twitter.com/iljyTaPrGJ
The gas station is located on St. Vincent’s Boulevard, approximately half a mile from the Reiners’ home on Chadbourne Avenue. The footage has circulated widely online and has become part of the developing timeline in the investigation.
Employees who reviewed the video said it was unsettling to see someone they had known for years connected to such a violent crime.
Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner known to staff
Gas station workers described the Reiner family as familiar, long-term customers. One employee said they had known Nick Reiner for nearly 15 years, making news of his arrest particularly difficult to process.
“We were stunned,” the employee said. “This wasn’t someone we ever imagined was capable of something like this.”
Staff also described Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner as polite and kind, deepening the sense of disbelief surrounding the case.
Nick Reiner arrest and murder charges
Nick Reiner was arrested just hours after his parents were found dead and was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Authorities alleged that Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were stabbed to death inside their home.
Investigators have not publicly released further details about the crime scene or a possible motive. Reiner had not entered a plea, and his arraignment was expected in the coming weeks.
