Rob Reiner Murder: Hotel Staff Claim Room Shower Was 'Full Of Blood' After Murder

When the son of filmmaker Rob Reiner allegedly murdered his parents in their Los Angeles home, hotel staff discovered a Santa Monica room 'full of blood,' including a shower and bed soaked in blood, according to sources and eyewitnesses.

As Los Angeles Police Department detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Reiners' deaths, the disturbing discovery at The Pierside Hotel, made just hours after the double homicide, has emerged as a key piece of evidence.

Timeline of the Night of the Murders

Rob and Michele were last seen alive on the evening of Dec. 13 at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party in Los Angeles, where they had brought Nick due to concerns about his well-being. Before the couple departed for their Brentwood estate, Nick stayed behind for a period of time, according to witnesses who described a loud and disturbing argument between father and son during the gathering.

At approximately 3:40 p.m., Romy Reiner, their daughter, found her parents' bodies in bed. Investigators suspect they were attacked while they slept in a bedroom on Sunday, Dec. 14, and their throats were slit. They had been dead for some hours as evidenced by the stage of rigour mortis which suggests that the murders most likely took place early in the morning.

Hotel Staff Discover 'Full of Blood' Shower

Nick arrived at The Pierside Hotel in Santa Monica at around 4 a.m., just after the alleged time of the killings. According to employees as cited by TMZ, he used his own credit card on Sunday, looking 'tweaked out' but without any obvious wounds or blood on his clothing. Nick left the property after making a one-night stay but he never officially checked out.

Later that morning, when housekeepers entered the room, they discovered an unsettling scene: the shower was allegedly 'full of blood' and there were more bloodstains on the bed and blankets that were hung over the window to hide out the light. According to sources, the graphic findings prompted employees to notify law enforcement, which aided detectives in determining Nick's whereabouts following the murders.

Rigor Mortis Points to Early-Morning Killings

Medical evidence supports the hypothesis that Rob and Michele were murdered many hours before Romy's discovery. The post-mortem stiffening of muscles known as rigour mortis usually starts two to six hours after death and is finished in eight to twelve hours. Both bodies were apparently already in full rigour when paramedics arrived, indicating the pair had been dead for at least six hours.

Investigators conclude that the homicides most likely occurred before 3:30 a.m. based on the rigour mortis window and Nick's 4 a.m. hotel check-in on Sunday. Nick reportedly departed the Brentwood home and travelled to Santa Monica where he is suspected of washing himself up in the hotel shower after beating his parents while they slept, according to the prosecutors.

Arrest and Murder Charges

Nick was not detained until around 9 pm Sunday evening, roughly five hours after Romy discovered the bodies, when LAPD officers and US Marshals apprehended him in Los Angeles' Exposition Park neighbourhood, about 20 miles from the family home. He was detained without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles after being charged with murder.

Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles County District Attorney, declared on Dec. 16 that Nick will face two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances which include multiple murders and an accusation that he personally used a knife as a deadly weapon. Prosecutors have not ruled out pursuing the death sentence and if found guilty, he faces life in jail without the possibility of parole.

A Family Strained by Years of Turmoil

A lengthy history of conflict including Nick's drug use and mental health issues lies behind the horrifying crime. According to sources, Romy is 'so traumatised' after witnessing her parents' repeated attempts to assist Nick, which included periods of separation, treatment, and reconciliations as he came and went from the family home.

Despite Rob and Michele's attempts to help him, insiders claim that a large portion of Nick's rage has been aimed at them 'for many, many years'. The couple's friends claim that they were candid about their difficulties with their son and those who were close to the family saw their suffering firsthand.

While the general public awaits further information regarding one of Hollywood's most upsetting crimes in recent memory, officials are currently gathering evidence and developing their case.