Dateline: True Crime Weekly — Episode Summary

Episode Title: Son arrested in Rob Reiner killings. Brian Walshe verdict. Plus, Keith Morrison on deadly jealousy.
Release Date: December 18, 2025
Host: Lester Holt
Contributors: Chloe Meloss, Dorothy Newell, Alex Lowray, Keith Morrison, Shane Bishop

Episode Overview

In this week’s episode of Dateline: True Crime Weekly, host Lester Holt leads listeners through several of the week’s most gripping crime stories:

• The shocking double homicide of Hollywood icon Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle, with their son Nick arrested for the murders.
• The verdict in the high-profile Brian Walshe murder trial.
• Updates on the Sandra Birchmore and Karen Read cases, plus developments in Michigan’s Deanne Warner disappearance.
• Keith Morrison and Shane Bishop drop in to discuss their new podcast project “Something About Carrie,” exploring themes of deadly jealousy.

1. The Rob Reiner Double Murder: Son Arrested (02:13–09:44)

Background and Legacy

• Rob Reiner: Renowned director (“When Harry Met Sally,” “A Few Good Men”), son of Carl and Estelle Reiner, known for warmth and activism (03:23).
• Michelle Singer Reiner: Accomplished photographer and philanthropist, married to Rob after meeting on the set of “When Harry Met Sally.”

Crime Details

• Sunday: Rob and Michelle Reiner found dead in their Brentwood, Los Angeles, home.
• 911 Call: Their daughter Romy discovered them and phoned police (04:47).
• Weapon: Knife confirmed as murder weapon (05:17).
• Suspect: Their son Nick Reiner was arrested six hours after bodies were found (03:13).
• Witness statements: Nick was “odd and disruptive” at Conan O’Brien’s party the evening before, prompting his parents to discuss his mental health with him (05:23).

Personal & Family History

• Nick Reiner’s history: Public struggle with addiction, co-wrote the semi-autobiographical film “Being Charlie” about father-son addiction (06:48).
• Chloe Meloss: “You heard Nick talk about his years-long battle that began when he was just 15 years old.” (06:48).

Legal Status

• Nick Reiner held without bail (07:27).
• Alan Jackson, noted defense attorney, represents Nick; who specifically hired Jackson remains undisclosed (07:50).
• Charges: Two counts of first-degree murder, special circumstances for multiple murders, and personal use of a deadly weapon (08:03–08:21). Max sentence: life without parole or the death penalty (08:26).
• No death penalty decision made yet; prosecutors will consult the family (08:26).

Reactions

• Public mourning: Candles and flowers placed on Rob Reiner’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star (08:42).
• Chloe Meloss: “So many families in this country understand the depths of addiction…this is something that is touching people in a very profound way.” (08:56)
• Family statement: Jake and Romy Reiner ask for their parents to be remembered for their lives and love (09:17).

2. Brian Walshe Murder Trial: The Verdict (11:19–17:45)

Case Recap

• Brian Walshe: Art swindler accused of murdering and dismembering his wife, Ana, on New Year’s Day 2023.

• Prosecution: Presented evidence of post-mortem dismemberment, disposal of body, “incriminating Internet searches,” and lying to police. Couldn’t prove cause of death (11:19).

• Defense: Admitted illegal disposal, argued Ana died from natural causes, Walshe panicked, claimed no proof of murder or premeditation (11:19–12:40).

• Defense surprised many by calling no witnesses, not even Walshe himself (12:40).

  “‘Have you made a decision about whether you wish to testify at this trial?’
  ‘Yes, I have… I will not testify.’”
  — Courtroom exchange (12:40–12:48)

Trial Highlights

• Defense (Larry Tipton): “The prosecution didn’t prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, especially that Brian Walsh planned to murder his wife… those actions didn’t make Brian guilty of murder, let alone murder in the first degree.” (13:41)
• Prosecution: Asserted motive (Ana’s affair), digital evidence pointed to covering up murder (14:25, 15:45).

  “Ana Walsh, dying a sudden death from natural causes, defies common sense.”
  — Prosecutor, via Chloe Meloss (15:53)

• Jury deliberation: Four hours on Friday, resumed Monday, delivered rapid verdict (16:23–16:36).

  “Guilty.”
  — Jury Foreman (16:36)

Outcome & Reaction

• Brian Walshe convicted of first-degree murder; faces mandatory life.
• Norfolk County DA Michael Morrissey:

  “It’s not about winning or losing. It’s about getting the right answer… We look at getting justice for someone.” (17:24–17:36)

3. Crime Roundup: Case Updates (19:37–25:16)

A. Deanne Warner Missing Person and Murder Case (20:11–22:17)

• Michigan grandmother & entrepreneur; missing since April 2021.
• Husband Dale Warner suspected; charged with murder despite no body (20:11–21:15).
• Break: Remains found in a fertilizer tank on Dale’s property (21:15).
• New twist: Former detective Kevin Greca arrested as a material witness after initially thought to have fled state; released after posting bond and claims to be cooperating (21:22–22:17).

B. Sandra Birchmore Murder – Trial Venue Decision (22:17–23:50)

• Former Stoughton, MA police officer Matthew Farwell accused of murdering pregnant teacher’s aide Sandra Birchmore, staging her death as suicide; pleads not guilty.
• Prosecutors take death penalty off the table (22:58).
• Defense attempts unusual strategy: request to move trial to Rhode Island due to “pretrial publicity” bias, citing negative media coverage (23:07–23:50).

C. Karen Reed Case – Infamous SUV To Be Auctioned (23:50–25:12)

• Karen Reed acquitted in high-profile murder of her boyfriend, police officer John O’Keefe, in MA.
• Her Lexus SUV (key evidence, broken taillight) restored and set to be auctioned by JB Auto Care; proceeds to benefit Reed’s legal fees (24:34).
• Expected price: could be much higher than typical, given notoriety (24:55).

4. Feature: Keith Morrison’s “Something About Carrie” Podcast (25:20–31:02)

Case & Series Teaser (25:44–31:02)

• New series revisits the disappearance of Carrie Farver, a computer programmer and single mother, who went missing in 2012 from Iowa.
• Story begins with dramatic 911 call from an Iowa park reporting a shooting (25:46).
• Carrie’s family bond described as intense and loving. Following her disappearance, family received years of strange, hurtful text messages, believed to be from Carrie (26:57–27:49).
• Dave Krupa, man Carrie briefly dated, targeted by threatening texts and stalking, as was his ex-girlfriend (28:06).
• Case complicated by interstate police jurisdiction; only after arson incident do agencies commit significant resources (29:13).
• Eventually, the truth emerges: the stalking, texts, and violence were orchestrated by someone else, motivated by jealousy (29:50–30:44).

  Keith Morrison: “In most murder investigations… people who know each other… have to do with either love or money and sex and jealousy almost always.” (30:44)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Chloe Meloss, on Rob Reiner’s impact:

  “I think everybody has a story, Lester, and so many of us are struggling with something, and so many families in this country understand the depths of addiction… this is something that is touching people in a very profound way.” (08:56)

• Brian Walsh verdict:

  “Guilty.”
  — Jury Foreman (16:36)
  “It’s not about winning or losing. It’s about getting the right answer.”
  — DA Michael Morrissey (17:24)

• On “Something About Carrie” podcast:

  “The twists and turns and the folds of material in this story where you lift one fold and there’s another surprise underneath, it was full of those kinds of things.”
  — Keith Morrison (30:05)
  “In most murder investigations… jealousy almost always.”
  — Keith Morrison (30:44)

• On Karen Reed SUV auction:

  “This is not a sale of a typical Lexus SUV, but a sale of a vehicle involved in a very high profile case. So it could go for much more.”
  — Alex Lowray (24:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Rob Reiner double murder analysis: 02:13–09:44
• Brian Walshe trial details and verdict: 11:19–17:45
• Deanne Warner case update: 20:11–22:17
• Sandra Birchmore trial news: 22:17–23:50
• Karen Reed SUV auction: 23:50–25:12
• Keith Morrison’s podcast feature: 25:20–31:02

Overall Tone & Style

• Throughout, Lester Holt’s approach is respectful, measured, and attentive to both the human and legal complexities of each story.
• The conversation with guests ranges from journalistic and inquisitive (in legal cases) to empathetic and thoughtful (in recounting families’ struggles).
• Keith Morrison and Shane Bishop’s section is characteristically atmospheric and narrative-driven, foreshadowing the deeper explorations in their new podcast.

For listeners who missed the episode, this summary captures the key true crime stories and discussions, notable personalities involved, and the emotional and investigative insights that Dateline delivers weekly.