By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-08-13 00:43:35 | Updated at 2026-08-13 02:02:23
1 hour ago
Nick Reiner appears during his arraignment in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Los Angeles on Feb. 23, 2026. Chris Torres/Pool via Reuters
A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted Nick Reiner on murder charges in the slayings of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, adding the allegation that he was lying in wait before the attack.
The grand jury, which had been meeting in secret, returned the indictment on July 20. It was unsealed Wednesday, and 32-year-old Nick Reiner entered a not guilty plea.
Rob Reiner, 78, director, actor, and Hollywood luminary, and his wife Michele, 70, a photographer and producer, were stabbed to death in their home in the upscale Brentwood section of Los Angeles on Dec. 14. Nick Reiner was arrested within hours.
The grand jury indictment is a major step toward trial. It allows prosecutors to skip California’s preliminary hearing process, where evidence is publicly aired.
“This was a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement. “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.”
The unsealed indictment reveals few new details in a case that has been shrouded in secrecy. But the lying in wait allegation along with other circumstances, such as multiple murders, mean Reiner could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors say they haven’t decided whether to seek it.
California has not carried out an execution since 2006, but the option remains available under the special circumstances alleged.
The indictment did not describe how Reiner was allegedly lying in wait.
Reiner remains held without bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 15.
Rob Reiner was widely known as a sitcom actor and for directing films including “This Is Spinal Tap,” “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally,” and “A Few Good Men.”
Prosecutors filed the
original chargesshortly after the killings. The new indictment replaces those charges and moves the case forward.
The district attorney’s office has not released further details about the evidence presented to the grand jury.
Authorities have provided limited public information beyond the basic timeline and the method of the killings. The medical examiner previously classified the deaths as homicides caused by multiple sharp force injuries.
The defense has not issued a detailed public response beyond the not guilty plea.
