Nick Reiner Indicted in Parents’ Murders, Knife Allegation Added

A grand jury indictment against Nick Reiner in the deaths of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Reiner, was unsealed Wednesday, adding a new allegation that he used a knife in the killings.

Reiner, 32, pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder. The charges include special circumstances alleging multiple murders and that the killings were carried out while lying in wait. Prosecutors also allege that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon.

Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Reiner, 70, were found dead in their Los Angeles home. Nick Reiner was arrested on Dec. 14 and has remained in custody.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the indictment was an important step toward bringing the case to trial and seeking justice. The grand jury returned the indictment on July 20.

Reiner is scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on Sept. 15. If convicted, he could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

The case has also drawn attention to Reiner’s reported mental health history. He has reportedly been diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Sources told The New York Times that he changed medications about a month before his parents’ deaths and had previously been under a mental health conservatorship.

Separately, Reiner filed a petition in June seeking access to an inheritance trust his parents established for him. Court documents indicate the trust was to be distributed in two payments, at ages 30 and 35, and was valued at more than $1.5 million.