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Nick Reiner has been indicted on murder charges in the deaths of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. 

Reiner, 32, is accused of killing his Stand By Me director father and photographer mother in their Brentwood home on December 14, 2025. He has pleaded not guilty. 

Nick Reiner accused of ‘lying in wait’ to kill his parents 

The just-unsealed indictment adds a new special circumstance to murder charges, alleging that Reiner committed the crimes “by means of lying in wait.” The indictment also confirms that the Reiners were killed with a knife. 

“This was a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement. “The indictment unsealed today also adds a special circumstance allegation that the defendant committed the murders by means of lying in wait. We hope that by having a grand jury return an indictment in this case it will bring us one step closer to a trial and achieving justice.”

The grand jury indictment means there is no longer a need for a preliminary hearing in the case. 

Nick Reiner could have ‘launched a surprise attack’ on his unsuspecting victims

The addition of the “lying in wait” charge sheds new light on an already disturbing crime. It suggests that Reiner was “watching and waiting” for a moment to attack his parents, celebrity criminal defense attorney Seth J. Zuckerman told Page Six. 

‘Lying in wait’ is a legal-specific action where you concealed the purpose, you waited and you launched a surprise attack,” he explained, noting that the Reiners may have been “unaware that this was going to happen.”

“There must be some evidence here, whether it’s surveillance footage, text messages, witness testimony, a diary entry, or something that shows that he was lying and waiting for any plans to do this,” Zuckerman added.

The “lying in wait” allegations may also make it more difficult for Reiner’s attorneys to mount an insanity defense for their client, Zuckerman noted. Reiner has a history of drug abuse and mental health issues. Some had speculated that his lawyers could argue that mitigated his responsibility for his alleged crimes. 

Reiner is accused of stabbing his parents to death in the early hours of December 14. He fled the home but was arrested a few hours later. He has since been held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. 

If convicted, Reiner faces death or life in state prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors have not yet made a decision on whether to seek the death penalty. 

Reiner is next due in court on September 15 for a pretrial hearing.

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