Nick Reiner, 32, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents, acclaimed director and actor Rob Reiner, 78, and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, 70. The plea was entered by his new attorney, public defender Kimberly Greene, during an arraignment at Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday morning.
Reiner appeared in court wearing brown jail clothes and standing behind glass in an enclosed custody area, a change from the suicide prevention smock he wore during a previous appearance in December. The judge had postponed proceedings last month after Reiner's former attorney, Alan Jackson, withdrew from the case, citing circumstances that made it 'impossible to continue our representation'. Jackson maintained that his client was not guilty.
The bodies of the couple were discovered in their Los Angeles home by their daughter on 14 December. Police took Reiner into custody that evening. He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, with a special circumstance of multiple murders and a special allegation for the use of a dangerous weapon. He is being held without bail. The Los Angeles County medical examiner determined the couple died from 'multiple sharp force injuries'.
Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian told the judge that the full autopsy report is still pending. Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated after the arraignment that the case is eligible for the death penalty, but no decision has been made. 'We will be looking at all aggravating and mitigating circumstances,' he said.
The killings have sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, with the couple also known for their political activism. Reiner has a long history of struggles with addiction and mental illness, and was under a conservatorship in 2020 due to mental health issues. He had reportedly been prescribed medication for schizophrenia. His behaviour was described as increasingly erratic before the killings, including an argument with his father at a Christmas party hosted by Conan O'Brien the night before the bodies were found.
O'Brien spoke about the tragedy in a recent interview, describing the Reiners as 'lovely people' and expressing his shock. 'To have that experience of saying goodnight to somebody and having them leave and then find out the next day that they're gone … I think I was in shock for quite a while afterward,' he said.
