Director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer Michele Singer, were found dead on Sunday, December 14, in their home in Los Angeles, according to a police official linked to the investigation.
Investigators believe Reiner and Singer were stabbed and a family member is being questioned, said the same source, who asked the Associated Press (AP) not to be identified as he was not authorized to speak about the case publicly.
The Los Angeles fire department said it responded to a call for medical assistance shortly after 3:30 pm (11:20 pm in Lisbon) and found a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman dead inside the house.
Robbery-Homicide detectives are investigating an “apparent homicide” at Reiner’s home, said Mike Bland of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Los Angeles authorities have not yet confirmed the identity of the people found dead in the residence in the upscale neighborhood of Brentwood, on the west side of the city, where many celebrities live.
Reiner was long one of Hollywood’s most prolific directors, and his work includes some of the most memorable films of the 1980s and 1990s, including “This is Spinal Tap,” “A Few Good Men,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride.”
His role as Meathead in the classic 1970s television series “All in the Family”, alongside Archie Bunker, played by Carol O’Connor, catapulted him to fame and earned him two Emmy Awards.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called Reiner’s death a devastating loss for the city. “Rob Reiner’s contributions resonate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy for social and economic justice,” Bass said in a statement.
“The acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer and active political activist has always used his gifts in the service of others,” added Karen Bass about the filmmaker.
Son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner was married to photographer Michele Singer Reiner since 1989. The two met while the director was filming “When Harry Met Sally” and together they had three children.
Reiner was married to actress and director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981, having adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner.
Homicide cases are rare in the Brentwood neighborhood, a place about a mile from the house where OJ Simpson’s wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and friend Ron Goldman were murdered in 1994.