Nick Reiner has entered a not guilty plea to two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
His new lawyer, public defender Kimberly Greene, submitted the plea during Monday morning’s arraignment, where Reiner appeared behind glass in a Los Angeles courtroom.
According to the Associated Press, Reiner stood in a secure custody enclosure wearing standard brown jail attire rather than the suicide-prevention garment he had worn at a December hearing.
Court proceedings had been delayed last month after his previous attorney withdrew and was replaced by a public defender. Former lawyer Alan Jackson said at the time that he could not disclose the reasons for stepping aside but maintained his client’s innocence.
The 32-year-old has been in custody since December following his arrest on suspicion of fatally stabbing his parents. The bodies of the acclaimed 78-year-old director and actor and Michele, a 70-year-old photographer, were discovered by their daughter at the family’s Los Angeles home on December 14, and police arrested Reiner later that evening.
He faces first-degree murder charges with a special circumstance allegation of multiple killings, as well as an enhancement for use of a dangerous weapon, and is being held without bail. The Los Angeles County medical examiner said the couple died from multiple sharp-force injuries.
Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian told the judge Monday that prosecutors are still awaiting the full autopsy report.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said after the hearing that the case qualifies for the death penalty, though prosecutors have not yet decided whether to pursue it.
“We will evaluate all aggravating and mitigating factors,” he said.
The deaths of the widely admired couple, who were also known for their political activism, shocked the entertainment community. The case has drawn intense media attention, including scrutiny of Reiner’s personal difficulties and the period leading up to the killings.
Reiner has a documented history of addiction and mental health struggles and previously worked with his father on the film Being Charlie, reportedly inspired in part by his own life. He was placed under a conservatorship for a year in 2020 due to mental health concerns, The New York Times reported.
The Los Angeles Times reported that he had been prescribed medication commonly used to treat schizophrenia prior to the killings.
Media reports indicated his behavior had grown increasingly erratic beforehand. The night before the bodies were discovered, the couple attended a Christmas gathering at comedian Conan O’Brien’s home, where Rob and Nick Reiner were reportedly heard arguing.
In an interview with The New Yorker, O’Brien described the couple as “lovely people,” saying he and his wife had become close to them.
“To say goodnight to someone and then learn the next day they’re gone … I was in shock for quite some time. There’s no other way to describe it. It’s just awful,” O’Brien said.
He added that Reiner’s strong engagement with national issues made the loss even harder to process.
Before withdrawing, Jackson had urged the public not to jump to conclusions, saying circumstances beyond his control made it impossible for him to continue representing Reiner.
He told reporters that, under California law, his client is not guilty of murder.