Nick Reiner could face a lifetime in prison, with the potential of the death penalty hanging over his head. Just two days after the gruesome discovery of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, brutally murdered in their own home, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the official charges brought against the 32-year-old. "These charges will be two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders," Hochman declared during a press conference on December 16th. "He also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife."
"These charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty," Hochman continued. "At this point, no decision has been made regarding the death penalty."
As for the minimum penalty, each count of first-degree murder carries a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison, per California Penal Code 187. While Hochman explained that his office would be formally filing those first-degree murder charges that afternoon, he cautioned viewers that "charges are not evidence."
"Evidence is something that we will be presenting in a court of law," he said. "To meet the standard of proof we meet in every criminal case, which is beyond a reasonable doubt, to 12 jurors who unanimously have to find that we met that standard to prove the charges we bring to court."
Although Hochman did not delve into any specific evidence recovered from the investigation, he applauded the Los Angeles Police Department's robbery homicide division for their "around-the-clock efforts to gather the evidence that has led to the charges we're going to be filing today."
Meanwhile, the next steps for Nick include completing a medical clearance—standard practice for everyone arrested by the LAPD—and appearing in court. "Once he is medically cleared, he will be brought to court to be arraigned on these charges," Hochman said. "At that point, he will enter a plea of guilty or not guilty."
Nick was arrested on December 14th around 9 p.m., just six hours after police discovered the bodies of his parents in their Los Angeles home. Alan Jackson, a lawyer who has represented Harvey Weinstein and Karen Read, confirmed to E! News that he will be Nick's attorney but told reporters he would not be "commenting any further" beyond procedural details of the case.
