SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — In just more than a month, Nick Reiner will be back in court facing murder charges in the deaths of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner.
The circumstances of this case bring to light the plight of families with loved ones battling mental illness and addiction.
It’s a topic ABC7 News reporter Tara Campbell intimately delves into in the ABC7 Originals Documentary: “A Mother’s Hope.” Campbell followed the journeys of three moms in three different cities over the course of a year, as they fought to save their adult children.
RELATED: Nick Reiner was in yearlong mental health conservatorship in 2020: Report
She recently spoke with all three of them about the Reiner tragedy. They described it as their worst nightmare.
Nick Reiner publicly discussed his struggles with addiction and mental health a decade ago.
And the New York Times recently reported he was placed in a year-long mental health conservatorship in 2020 by a judge, allowing him to be involuntarily held for psychiatric treatment.
MORE: CA mothers navigate children’s struggle with drug abuse, mental illness: ‘A Mother’s Hope’
The moms are calling for the implementation of California Senate Bill 43. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into law more than two years ago, with the goal of making it easier to conserve a loved one by redefining “gravely disabled” to include substance abuse. But the majority of counties have delayed the startup.
The moms also pointed to Prop 1, which was passed by California voters last year, to invest millions into building more treatment and psychiatric facilities. The results, they say, have yet to be seen.
Nick Reiner’s arraignment is set for the end of February. He faces two counts of first-degree murder. If convicted, he would face life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
Watch the moms’ interviews in the player above.
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