At a Glance
- Nanon Williams has served 34 years for a murder he says he did not commit
- Rob and Michele Reiner championed his freedom until their murders on Dec. 14
- Their children, Romy and Jake, emailed Williams on Jan. 4 pledging continued support
- Why it matters: The next generation vows to finish their parents’ fight to exonerate Williams
Nanon Williams, imprisoned for 34 years, lost two of his fiercest advocates when Rob and Michele Reiner were killed on Dec. 14. One month later, their children stepped in to continue the battle for his freedom.
Williams, 51, met the Reiners after they attended a 2016 Los Angeles performance of Lyrics From Lockdown, a show based on his incarceration. The couple soon became “like family,” exchanging daily emails ending with “I love you” and weekly phone calls. They joined Georgetown University’s Making an Exoneree program to help prove his innocence.
That communication stopped when Nick Reiner, 32, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his parents.
On Jan. 4, siblings Jake Reiner, 34, and Romy Reiner, 29, broke the silence. Each sent Williams an email reminding him the family’s commitment had not died with their parents.
“They’re still expressing that, ‘Hey, we’re family. We’re standing by you. We’re going to be here forever, and we love you very much,'” Williams told News Of Losangeles.
Williams says he grew “particularly close to Romy and Jake, but especially Romy.” In their letters the siblings described feeling they had “lost their brother as well” when their parents died.
Receiving the messages was bittersweet.
“It made me smile to hear from them, but at the same time, it made tears fall, because I know what they’re going through,” Williams said. “I try to imagine the horror that particularly Romy saw. It’s heartbreaking.” Multiple sources confirm Romy discovered the bodies in the family’s Los Angeles home.
Williams believes the letters reveal the same strength Rob and Michele displayed.
“When I read Romy’s letter and Jake’s letter – I don’t think they realized that they’re being strong or vulnerable,” he said. “Despite what they’re going through… they’re also showing love. They’re doing exactly the same thing their parents did.”
He predicts the siblings will emerge as leaders just as their parents were.
“Rob was a leader, and Michele wasn’t his sidekick; she was his partner,” Williams said. “I also know that Romy and Jake, too, they’ll be leaders. I think many people already know that.”
The Georgetown University Making an Exoneree program continues to investigate Williams’ conviction.
