The son of famed filmmaker Rob Reiner will face two counts of first-degree murder for killing his parents with a knife, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Tuesday.
Hochman said the charges carry a penalty … the maximum sentence is life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty, but prosecutors have not yet decided whether they will seek the death penalty in the case.
Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested several hours after the bodies of his father, actor and director Rob Reiner, 78, and his mother, photographer and producer Michele Reiner, 70, were discovered at the couple’s home Sunday afternoon.
Prosecutors said evidence collected by the Los Angeles Police Department led homicide detectives to Reiner, who was arrested without incident.
Police investigators referred the case Tuesday to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, and prosecutor Nathan Hochman said at a news conference that two counts of first-degree murder against Nick Reiner would be formally presented in court later in the day.
The prosecutor said a knife was used in the killings, but gave few details about the investigation or the circumstances of the killings.
Multiple media outlets reported that Nick Reiner was seen arguing with his parents Saturday night at a Christmas party hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien.
Nick Reiner, the youngest of the Reiners’ two children and the middle child of the family, had spoken publicly about his years-long struggle with drug addiction and homelessness. He has been held without bail in a Los Angeles County jail since his arrest Sunday evening on suspicion of murder.
Prominent Los Angeles defense attorney Alan Jackson, who represents Reiner, said his client had not yet been medically cleared to appear in court Tuesday, but would likely be arraigned Wednesday.
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