On December 14, 2025, Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found tragically murdered in their home in Brentwood, California. Their 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in relation to their deaths. While little has been reported about the status of the Reiners’ estate administration, one thing is clear: California’s slayer statute will likely impact the distribution of the Reiners’ assets. The slayer statute, California Probate Code Section 250(a), provides that:
A person who feloniously and intentionally kills the decedent is not entitled to any of the following:
(1) Any property, interest, or benefit under a will of the decedent, or a trust created by or for the benefit of the decedent or in which the decedent has an interest, including any general or special power of appointment conferred by the will or trust on the killer and any nomination of the killer as executor, trustee, guardian, or conservator or custodian made by the will or trust.
(2) Any property of the decedent by intestate succession.
Presumably, the Reiners’ estate administration will be stayed until the outcome of Nick Reiner’s criminal case, because a guilty verdict will prevent Nick from inheriting.
Similarly, Washington has a slayer statute. RCW 11.84.020 states, “No slayer or abuser shall in any way acquire any property or receive any benefit as the result of the death of the decedent.”
As tragic as the Reiner case is, it serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of understanding how slayer statutes function in estate planning and probate matters. The final resolution will not only impact the Reiner family’s legacy, but will also highlight broader legal principles designed to prevent individuals from profiting from wrongdoing.
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