Nick Reiner Indicted for Lying in Wait Before Killing His Parents

A Los Angeles grand jury has returned a new indictment against Nick Reiner, 32, alleging he murdered his parents — acclaimed Hollywood director Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner — by lying in wait, a special circumstance that makes him eligible for the death penalty under California law.

What the new indictment says

The indictment, returned on 20 July and unsealed Wednesday, charges Nick Reiner with two counts of first-degree murder with the special-circumstance allegation that he lay in wait before carrying out the killings. It also includes a separate allegation that he personally used a knife, classified under California statute as a dangerous and deadly weapon — an additional aggravating factor. Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty in open court. His next court appearance is scheduled for 15 September.

By seeking a grand jury indictment, prosecutors bypassed California's standard preliminary hearing process. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said: "We hope that by having a grand jury return an indictment in this case it will bring us one step closer to a trial and achieving justice." Prosecutors have not confirmed whether they will seek the death penalty, which is legally available but currently under a moratorium in California.

What happened in December

Rob Reiner, 78 — beloved for directing This Is Spinal Tap, Misery, and A Few Good Men — and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, 70, a noted photographer, were found dead on 14 December in their home in the affluent Brentwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Their bodies were discovered by the couple's daughter. The LA County medical examiner determined that both died from "multiple sharp force injuries." Nick Reiner was arrested in Los Angeles the same day.

Family reaction

The couple's eldest son Jake Reiner wrote on Substack in April about the devastating toll the events have taken: "Nothing compares to losing both of them at the same time and, on top of that, having your brother be at the centre of it." He described his world as having "collapsed." Prosecutors described the alleged crime as "a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing."