Nick Reiner Charged, Could Face Death Penalty in Murder of His Parents, Rob and Michele Reiner
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney charged Nick Reiner with the murder of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
Nick Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder
Reiner is charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murder. He also faces a special allegation of using a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife, in the alleged crime. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty.
“No decision has been made at this point with respect to the death penalty,” LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at a press conference on December 16.
The bodies of the Stand By Me director and his photographer wife were found December 14 at their home in Brentwood. That evening, police arrested their son, 32, in LA’s Exposition Park neighborhood. He is currently being held without bail and is going through medical clearance, a standard procedure for all Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department jail inmates. After he is cleared, he’ll appear in court where he’ll be arraigned and enter a plea.
Hochman stressed that while Nick Reiner has been charged with murder, those charges “are just that, charges.”
“Charges are not evidence,” he said. “Evidence is something that we will be presenting in a court of law to meet the standard of proof we meet in every criminal case, which is beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Rob and Michele Reiner’s murder is ‘beyond tragic,’ DA says
Hochman acknowledged that the Reiners’ murder was a difficult and emotionally charged case.
“Prosecuting these cases involving family members are some of the most challenging and heart-wrenching cases that this office faces because of the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes involved,” he said. “Rob Reiner was a brilliant actor and director, an iconic force in our entertainment industry for decades. His wife, Michele Singer Reiner, was an equally iconic photographer and producer. Their loss is beyond tragic.”
Habib Balian, assistant head deputy of major crimes, and Jonathan Chung, deputy district attorney for major crimes, will leading the prosecution. Reiner is being represented by Alan Jackson, according to E! News. Jackson previously represented Harvey Weinstein in his 2022 criminal trial in Los Angeles and Kevin Spacey in a groping case in Massachusetts that was later dismissed.
Hochman concluded by urging people to not fall for rumors and speculation in the high-profile case.
“If it doesn’t come from the district attorney’s office, LAPD, from the coroner’s office, or from the courtroom itself, then there is a good chance you are hearing misinformation,” he said. “Because at the appropriate time, the actual evidence involved in this case will be presented in a court of law.”
For more news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram.
