Rob Liner, director of Misery, and Michelle Liner were brutally murdered by their son Nick Liner, who was found to have been diagnosed with schizophrenia before the killing.
On the 19th (local time), TMZ reported that Nick Liner had been diagnosed with schizophrenia prior to killing his parents and that the medication he was taking was alleged to have made his behavior "unstable and dangerous."
According to the report, Nick was receiving treatment from a psychiatrist for a mental illness, and in the weeks before his parents were stabbed to death his behavior was in a "worrisome state" to the point of being dangerous.
About a month before the killings, doctors changed Nick's medication, and afterwards he became a "person not in his right mind." At the time, medical staff were adjusting his medication to stabilize his condition, but a tragedy occurred during the process.
The outlet reported, "Nick recently received treatment at an expensive rehabilitation facility in Los Angeles that specializes in treating mental illness and substance abuse, and his substance abuse problem worsened his schizophrenia symptoms."
According to the American Psychiatric Association, schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, thought disorder and lack of motivation. Thus, Nick is likely to claim not guilty by reason of diminished capacity (mental disorder).
Nick has a prior record of violence and a long history of drug addiction. He had undergone rehabilitation almost 20 times and had also experienced homelessness.
Earlier on the 14th, the Liner couple were found stabbed to death at their home by their daughter Romy. The Los Angeles County coroner officially confirmed that the two died from "multiple sharp force injuries" and that the manner of death was homicide.
Their son Nick Liner was later arrested the same day near downtown LA after leaving bloodied evidence at a hotel in Santa Monica. Nick was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances of multiple killings. If convicted, he could face the maximum penalty of life without parole or the death penalty.
Rob Liner and Michelle Singer Liner married in 1989 and have three children. Rob Liner is a Hollywood great who directed films such as Misery, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and This Is Spinal Tap, and he was also beloved as an actor on the sitcom All in the Family.
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