Reiner, 32, charged with first-degree murder in deaths of Hollywood towering figures Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner
A grand jury has indicted Nick Reiner with first-degree murder in the deaths of his parents, the renowned director and actor Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, the Los Angeles county district attorney’s office announced on Wednesday.
Prosecutors accuse Reiner, 32, of stabbing the couple to death in December in their Brentwood home, before fleeing the scene. He was arrested shortly after and charged with murder. Reiner has since been held in custody without bail.
The new indictment charges Reiner with two counts of murder enhanced by a special circumstance: murder by means of lying in wait. Reiner has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
If he is convicted, he could be facing the death penalty. Prosecutors have not yet indicated whether they will pursue capital punishment.
“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 Hochman said in a Wednesday statement. “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 deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner shocked Hollywood, where the couple were towering figures. Rob Reiner had been regarded as a luminary with a slew of cult classics including When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride. The couple also dedicated themselves to fundraising for Democratic causes.
In April, the couple’s eldest son, Jake Reiner, addressed his parents’ deaths for the first time publicly.
“We lost more than half of our family that night in the most violent way imaginable. Sure, any loss of a parent is devastating, but nothing compares to losing both of them at the same time and, on top of that, having your brother be at the center of it. It’s almost too impossible to process,” he wrote in a Substack essay.
A date for the trial has yet to be set.
Source: Guardian - World News
