Shocking circumstances continue to emerge surrounding the deaths of Hollywood legend Rob Liner (78) and his wife Michelle Liner.
On the 15th (local time), according to multiple foreign media reports including the Daily Mail, Rob Liner was scheduled to receive a massage at his home on the day of his death but ultimately did not open the door, and later a daughter who lived nearby entered the house and discovered the two people dead.
According to reports, the night before the incident the Liner couple attended a holiday party hosted by famous broadcaster Conan O'Brien with their son Nick Liner (32). Testimony said there was a heated argument among family members at the event, enough that nearby attendees noticed. The couple reportedly left the party early.
The next afternoon, the therapist who had been scheduled to provide the massage went to the Liner couple's home in Brentwood but received no response, and foreign media say this prompted daughter Rumi Liner to visit the house and face a gruesome scene.
Local investigators are treating the case as a death that may involve homicide and are investigating, and foreign media are also reporting circumstances related to internal family conflict.
Foreign media highlight that Liner director's son Nick Liner had long struggled with drug addiction and mental health issues, and that the family had previously publicly expressed their pain in past interviews.
According to reports from People and TMZ, at the time Nick Liner displayed very unstable behavior, and one source told People, "Nick was agitated enough to make everyone uncomfortable and continued to ask partygoers, 'Are you a celebrity,' among other odd behaviors." The source added that after this argument Rob Liner and his wife Michelle left the party early. Less than a day later on Sunday afternoon, the two were found dead at their Los Angeles home.
Nick Liner had publicly disclosed past drug addiction, mental health difficulties, and homelessness that continued from his adolescence. In a 2016 interview with People he revealed, "I underwent rehabilitation repeatedly from around age 15," and those experiences helped inform the backdrop of the 2015 film Being Charlie, which he worked on with his father.
Nick Liner was later arrested and charged with murder and is reportedly being held without bail. However, investigators have refrained from officially confirming specific motives and details of the crime.
Rob Liner is an iconic Hollywood figure who left many masterpieces such as All in the Family, Stand by Me, Misery, When Harry Met Sally, and This Is Spinal Tap. Colleagues, actors and directors, and figures in politics and culture have expressed condolences over his sudden death.
The police said they are "keeping an open mind to all possibilities and are verifying facts with people around them including family," maintaining a cautious stance. The final cause of death will be officially announced after the autopsy results are released.
Meanwhile, the Liner family reportedly asked, "We are in deep sorrow, and please respect our privacy." They said additional information related to the incident will be released through an official announcement.<
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