Nick Reiner has found himself at the center of a serious legal battle, as he stands accused of taking the lives of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
“This is a tragic case of betrayal, with a son allegedly turning on his parents, the very individuals who loved and trusted him,” expressed Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman in a statement released on August 12press release. “Additionally, the indictment revealed today includes a special enhancement alleging that the murders were carried out by lying in wait.”
He went on to say, “We are hopeful that the grand jury’s decision to indict brings us closer to beginning the trial and delivering justice.”
Details from the indictment, as shared with Oxygen, accuse Nick of using a dangerous weapon, specifically a knife, to murder his parents.
The prosecutor’s office noted that Nick has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges of double homicide, which include special allegations of committing multiple murders and lying in wait.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office declined to comment when asked by Oxygen.
On Dec. 14, the bodies of the When Harry Met Sally director, 78, and Michele, 70, were found in their Brentwood, California, home by their daughter Romy Reiner.
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” Romy and her brother Jake Reiner said in a joint statement to MS NOW days after the killings. “The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
On Dec. 14, Nick was arrested at a gas station in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. He was initially held on $4 million bail before being held without bail. In February, he pleaded not guilty.
Nick is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on Sept. 15. If convicted on all charges, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Before their gruesome deaths, Rob and Michele attended Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party with Nick, who has been open about his experiences with addiction and homelessness.
There, several witnesses alleged that the family argued, sources told the L.A. Times and People.
“To have that experience of saying good night to somebody and having them leave and then find out the next day that they’re gone,” O’Brien told The New Yorker in February, “I think I was in shock for quite a while afterward. I mean, there’s no other word for it. It’s just very—it’s so awful. It’s just so awful.”