Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old son of iconic filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, is set to face two counts of first-degree murder charges following the tragic deaths of his parents in their Los Angeles home on Sunday. During a press conference, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell confirmed that the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office had "formally filed charges against Mr. Reiner for the murder of his parents."
"This case is a heart-wrenching and deeply personal tragedy, not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones but for our entire city," Chief McDonnell added, extending their deepest condolences to all those affected by the tragedy.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who was also present at the update on the investigation into the killings of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, stated that Reiner would face "first-degree murder charges with special circumstances" of multiple murders. He further added that Reiner "faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife."
Hochman noted that the first-degree murder charges would be officially filed later on Tuesday after Reiner has been medically cleared for transport. He will be formally arraigned on the charges and will have the opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty.
The DA's office has not yet decided whether to pursue the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole in this criminal murder case. Reiner has hired criminal defense attorney Alan Jackson for legal representation.
Reiner, who struggled with drug addiction and homelessness, had more than a dozen stints in rehab and co-wrote a film loosely based on his life, Being Charlie (2015), directed by his father. He was taken into custody on Sunday at Exposition Park in Los Angeles without incident and is currently being held without bail. Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele, 70, were found dead in their L.A. home on Chadbourne Avenue with "lacerations consistent with a knife," according to law enforcement sources. There were reportedly no signs of forced entry.
