Nick Reiner, son of Hollywood actor and director Rob Reiner and photographer and producer Michele Singer Reiner, will be charged with aggravated murder following the deaths of his parents, which could result in a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman reported Tuesday.
Hochman announced that his office would charge Nick Reiner with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of killing more than one person.
The prosecutor also noted that in addition to the homicide, he is accused of using a deadly weapon, in this case a knife, in the commission of the crimes, adding that the charge could carry “life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.”
“At this time, no decision has been made regarding the death penalty we are seeking and Nick Reiner is currently being held without bail,” Hochman said.
He also pointed out that the family’s thoughts and wishes are taken into account when making a decision, which is standard procedure in such cases.
The pressure is now on the Los Angeles coroner’s office to reveal the timing of the deaths. Police did not want to speculate about the manner of death.
The prosecutor emphasized that the charges against Reiner’s son were not evidence and that the evidence would be presented to a special jury that would approve the charges.
Drug and alcohol addiction
The couple’s middle son was arrested without incident Sunday evening: “There was no indication that he was going to resist or need help in any way. He didn’t try to run away or anything like that,” said Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton.
Charges against Nick Reiner will be formally filed later today, Hochman reported, and once the defendant is acquitted, he will appear in court to plead guilty or not guilty to the charges.
The 78-year-old director and actor Rob Reiner, known for his work in films such as “Harry and Sally” and as an actor in “The Wolf of Wall Street”, was found dead in his home in Los Angeles on Sunday along with his wife, producer and photographer Michele Reiner, 70.
The Reiners were found by one of their daughters, who called authorities.
At the conference, Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Alan Hamilton also noted that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) learned of the incident through a request from the city’s fire department, which was the first to respond to the scene.
Shortly thereafter, Nick Reiner, who lived in a house next door to his parents’, was arrested after struggling with drug and alcohol addiction for decades.
Reiner is being held without bail at the Twin Towers prison and is considered suicidal and is under special surveillance, a police source told the Los Angeles Times.
mg (efe, CNN)
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