Nick Reiner, the youngest son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer and activist Michele Singer Reiner, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his parents in Los Angeles.
The 32-year-old appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court On Monday, where a not guilty plea to two counts of first-degree murder was entered on his behalf. He spoke only briefly, answering a judge’s question as the next court date was set for April 29.
Reiner appeared in a brown jail jumpsuit with a shaved head, standing in a secure custody area behind glass while conferring quietly with his lawyer. His current counsel is deputy public defender Kimberly Greene, who took over after his previous attorney, Alan Jackson, withdrew from the case in January citing reasons he said he could not discuss.
Prosecutors have charged Reiner with two counts of first-degree murder, with a “special circumstance” alleging multiple murders and a further allegation that a knife was used. Those allegations mean he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if convicted.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has not yet announced whether his office will pursue capital punishment, saying experienced prosecutors with death penalty background are involved in the review. When the charges were first filed, Hochman called Rob Reiner “one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation” and described the couple’s deaths as “shocking and tragic”, adding, “We owe it to their memory to pursue justice and accountability for the lives that were taken”.
Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were found dead in the bedroom of their Brentwood home on 14 December after their daughter discovered their bodies and called authorities. Initial findings from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner state they died from “multiple sharp force injuries,” and investigators believe they were killed hours before they were found.
Police arrested Nick Reiner later that night in Los Angeles, and he has been held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility since then. A court order is restricting the release of further details, and authorities have not publicly discussed any possible motive.
In the days after the killings, the couple’s children Jake and Romy spoke of their “unimaginable pain” and “horrific and devastating loss” in a statement. Coverage of the case has also revisited Nick Reiner’s long-documented struggles with drug addiction; he has previously said he attended 18 rehabs between the ages of 15 and 19 and spoke candidly about his behaviour in a recovery podcast interview.
For now, the case remains at an early stage, with prosecutors still awaiting a full autopsy report and both sides preparing to sift through a large volume of evidence ahead of further hearings.
Lead image: Getty
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