Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Tuesday his office will charge Nick Reiner with two counts of first-degree murder in the fatal stabbings of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner.
Prosecutors will also note aggravating factors of “multiple murders” and that Nick Reiner allegedly used a dangerous weapon, a knife.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of life without possibility of parole or the death penalty, but Hochman cautioned that “no decision has been made” whether or not to pursue the death penalty.
California only brings the death penalty in exceedingly rare circumstances. The last prisoner executed in the state was in 2016.
“Prosecuting these cases involving family members are some of the most challenging and most heartwrenching cases that this office faces because of the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes involved,” Hochman said.
“Rob Reiner was a brilliant actor and director, an iconic force in our entertainment industry for decades. His wife, Michelle Singer Reiner, was an equally iconic photographer and producer. Their loss is beyond tragic, and we will commit ourselves to bringing their murderer to justice.”
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton added that Nick Reiner was taken into custody Monday “without incident,” but declined to answer questions about Nick’s mental state at the time or whether he might have been under the influence of drugs.
The 32-year-old has a history of substance use and wasn’t present for a scheduled court hearing Tuesday morning because he hadn’t been medically cleared to do so.
“Every inmate has to be medically cleared before they can be transported to court,” defense attorney Alan Jackson told reporters outside Los Angeles Superior Court. “He has not been cleared, it’s just a procedural issue.”