A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted Nick Reiner on two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and producer Michele Singer Reiner, who were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home last December.
The indictment was returned July 20 and unsealed Wednesday, when Reiner pleaded not guilty. It includes special-circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder by lying in wait, along with an allegation that he personally used a knife during the killings.
Reiner, 32, had previously pleaded not guilty to murder charges filed after his December arrest. The indictment replaces those charges and allows prosecutors to proceed without a preliminary hearing, where they otherwise would have been required to present enough evidence in open court for a judge to determine whether the case should move forward.
A grand jury serves a similar screening function but hears evidence in secret and decides whether there is sufficient cause to bring criminal charges. An indictment does not determine guilt. Prosecutors would still have to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The special-circumstance allegations also raise the possible punishment if Reiner is convicted. Under California law, murder with qualifying special circumstances can carry life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has not announced whether prosecutors will seek a death sentence.
California law treats lying in wait as more than a general allegation that a killing was planned. To prove the special circumstance, prosecutors must establish an intentional killing involving concealment of purpose, a period of watching and waiting for an opportunity to act, and a surprise attack from a position of advantage. The unsealed indictment does not explain how prosecutors allege those elements were met.
Reports following the killings said Rob, Michele and Nick Reiner attended a holiday party hosted by Conan O'Brien the night before the couple was found dead, and that Nick and his father had an argument during the gathering. Prosecutors have not publicly identified the party or any confrontation there as the basis for the new lying-in-wait allegation.
Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead inside the primary bedroom of their Brentwood home on Dec. 14. Prosecutors have said both were fatally stabbed, and Nick Reiner was arrested hours later. He has remained in custody without bail.
Rob Reiner, 78, rose to prominence as an actor on All in the Family before directing films including This Is Spinal Tap, Stand by MeThe Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally. Michele Singer Reiner, 70, was a photographer and producer. The couple had three children.
Reiner had previously spoken publicly about longstanding substance abuse problems and underwent a yearlong mental health conservatorship beginning in 2020. He had also received treatment for schizophrenia before his arrest.
No trial date has been set. Reiner is scheduled to return to Los Angeles County Superior Court for a pretrial hearing on Sept. 15.
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