Nick Reiner's 'sinister' smirk during murder hearing sparks concern
What's the story
Nick Reiner, 32, the son of Hollywood filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, was recently arraigned for the alleged double murder of his parents. During the hearing, he reportedly smirked in a way that body language expert Susan Constantine described as "sinister." Speaking to Page Six, she explained that this expression was a form of "leakage" called "duper's delight," which occurs when someone feels enjoyment or excitement but tries to conceal it.
Body language analysis
'Sinister smile' leaked at 'inappropriate moments': Expert
Constantine said, "There is a really interesting smirk where his head goes down, and then he smiles." "You will see that it's almost like a sinister smile, and it kind of leaks out at the most inappropriate moments." "Once Nick became consciously aware that he was smirking, he quickly changed his behavior." Reiner was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders after his parents were found dead in their Brentwood home in December.
Emotional state
He shows paranoia, fear, and intensity: Expert
Constantine also noted that Reiner's jawline and forehead lines indicated "a lot of tenseness." She said, "His forehead shows a lot of worry. His eyes show paranoia and fear, high levels of it. An intensity level of it." Reiner is being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles and is due back in court on April 29.
Background
Reiner has history of drug addiction, schizophrenia
Reiner has a history of drug addiction and was diagnosed with schizophrenia before his parents' deaths. Despite reports of a heated argument between him and his father at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party the night before the killings, a close friend of Rob told Page Six that Reiner and his parents had been on good terms just weeks before their deaths. His siblings, Romy Reiner and Jake Reiner, have been keeping a low profile since the incident.