Can You Inherit if You Are Accused of Murder? The Rob Reiner Case Explained

What happens to an inheritance when an heir is accused of murder? The recent deaths of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife have brought national attention to a little-known area of probate law: slayer statutes and simultaneous death rules. Under Nebraska law, a person who feloniously and intentionally kills another may be treated as having predeceased the victim, losing the right to inherit through a will, trust, joint property, or beneficiary designation. When spouses die close in time, Nebraska’s 120-hour rule can also determine whether they inherit from each other at all. This article explains how these laws work, why criminal charges are not always required to disinherit an heir, and what Nebraska families should understand about protecting their estate in worst-case scenarios.