image source, Reuters
-
- Author, Atahualpa Amerise
- Author title, BBC News World
-
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office filed charges Tuesday against Nick Reiner in the deaths of his parents, actor and film director Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, who were murdered in their Los Angeles home last Sunday.
The 32-year-old is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, multiple counts of murder with special circumstances, and use of a deadly weapon, a knife, District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at a news conference Tuesday.
“These charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty,” Hochman said.
The prosecutor also stated that it had not yet been decided whether the death penalty would be sought.
Nick Reiner is currently in custody awaiting his court appearance on Tuesday after a medical certificate is processed.
The couple’s youngest daughter, Romy, found her parents’ bodies on Sunday in their home in Brentwood, a celebrity enclave full of mansions, boutiques and restaurants in West Los Angeles, multiple sources confirmed to CBS News.
Two sources told CBS News, the BBC’s U.S. affiliate network, that Rob and Nick Reiner had a brief but loud argument at a party the night before.
Nick Reiner is the second of three children of filmmaker Rob Reiner – director of classics such as The Princess Bride, Stand by Me and When Harry Met Sally – and his wife Michele Singer Reiner.
According to CBS News, the suspect is represented by prominent attorney Alan Jackson, who had clients including Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein in his Los Angeles rape case.
The authorities demanded this Tuesday that no speculation be spread about the motive or motivation for the crime.
Prosecutor Hochman said cases involving members of the same family are “among the most difficult and heartbreaking” cases his office faces “due to the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes committed.”
image source, Getty Images
The defendant’s addictions
In contrast to his father’s widely recognized career, Nick developed a low-key career in the film industry.
His main professional achievement is that he was a co-writer of the film be Charlie (2016), directed by his father.
The film tells the story of a drug-addicted teenager, loosely inspired by Nick’s own experiences with drug addiction.
In interviews at the time, Nick spoke openly about years of drug use, repeated admissions to rehabilitation centers and periods of his youth when he was forced to live on the streets.
In 2016, he told the magazine People who became homeless because he refused to participate in the rehabilitation programs that his parents suggested to him.
“If I wanted to do it my way and not participate in the programs they suggested, I would have to be homeless,” he said at the time.
He also acknowledged that he could have died during that time: “It’s all luck. You roll the dice and hope you make it.”
The diary L.A. Times He recalled this Monday that Nick “struggled with addiction for years and, with the help of his father, told his story to the world.”
According to the newspaper, he managed to stay sober around 2015 while working with Rob Reiner be Charlie.
image source, Getty Images
The relationship with his parents
In contrast to his father’s widely recognized career, Nick developed a low-key career in the film industry.
His main professional achievement is that he was a co-writer of the film be Charlie (2016), directed by his father.
Nick explained in an interview with AOL in 2016 that he wasn’t connected to his father much growing up.
As part of promoting the film, Nick and his family spoke about the mistakes and lessons learned during the rehabilitation process.
Rob Reiner then admitted that in his desperation he chose the advice of a specialist over his son’s voice.
“When Nick told us it wasn’t working for him, we didn’t listen,” he admitted.
Michele Singer added that the professionals assured them that Nick was “lying” or “manipulating” and that they believed them.
Nick also explained that his decision to quit heroin was based on a practical insight. “I come from a good family. I shouldn’t be on the streets or in homeless shelters doing things like that,” he said L.A. Times.
After be Charlie According to industry databases, he stopped amassing any further relevant film credits and expressed his desire to pursue an independent path.
As the investigation into the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner continues, authorities are keeping the most specific details of the case under wraps.
Nick Reiner, for his part, remains incarcerated and awaits the next legal steps.
Subscribe here Subscribe to our new newsletter to receive a selection of our best content of the week every Friday.
And remember that you can receive notifications in our app. Download and activate the latest version.
About The Author
