It’s been just over a week since Rob and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death inside their Los Angeles home.
And we’re still learning new information about the couple’s son and accused murderer, Nick Reiner.
Nick’s struggles with mental illness and substance abuse were well-documented in recent years, but it now seems that the 32-year-old was showing concerning signs as far back as early childhood.
According to a new report from the Daily Mail, Nick’s younger sister, Romy, 27, was “scared” of her brother throughout their upbringing.
“It feels like Romy has been scared of Nick since she was a child,” one source tells the outlet.
“Even before his drug addiction, his outbursts were frightening because they seemed to come out of nowhere. She tried to stay out of his way as much as she could but it wasn’t easy.”
The source adds that Romy opposed the idea of Nick moving into his parents’ guest house, as she feared for their safety.
“But she knew they moved him in so they could keep a close eye on him and give him a roof over his head,” the insider explains.
Due to her fear of Nick, early in life, Romy reportedly developed a much closer relationship with her eldest brother, Jake.
“There were plenty of times when Romy would be upset with Nick, and naturally that made her much closer to Jake,” says the source, adding that Jake had similar fears, “and Romy was able to talk about it when she didn’t want to burden their parents.”
Despite their fear, however, Jake and Romy reportedly maintained close ties with Nick into adulthood.
“Anytime that her parents looked overwhelmed or asked for help, Romy and Jake were there for Nick. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but she never disowned Nick,” says the insider.
As for how Romy has been holding up in the days since her parents’ murder, not surprisingly, the source says that “she and Jake are numb right now.”
Nick was not a public figure for most of his life, but in 2015, he and his father collaborated on a film titled Being Charlie, which was inspired by Nick’s struggles with addiction.
Several interviews from the film’s press tour have resurfaced in the past week, and they show Nick speaking candidly about his substance abuse issues.
During one conversation, Nick revealed that his father once talked him down during a bad acid trip.
“‘Calm down, son. I used to do this in the ’60s. You’ll come down. It won’t be forever,’” Nick recalled Rob saying after he woke his parents and confessed that he was on drugs.
“He just talked me down for like 8 hours straight … We laid side-by-side in bed, looking up at the ceiling while he told me about the ’60s,” Nick continued (via TMZ).
Clearly, the Reiners did their best to remain a tight-knit clan despite Nick’s obvious issues.
Details of this case will continue to pour in up to and throughout Nick’s trial — and each new piece of information somehow makes this situation even more tragic.