A Los Angeles County grand jury has formally indicted Nick Reiner in the deaths of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, adding a new special-circumstance allegation that he was lying in wait before the killings.
The grand jury, which met in secret, returned the indictment on July 20; it was unsealed Wednesday, when the 32-year-old entered a not guilty plea. "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."
Reiner now faces two counts of murder with special-circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder by means of lying in wait, along with an allegation that a knife was used in the killings, according to the DA's office. The indictment allows prosecutors to bypass the preliminary hearing process, where evidence would have been publicly presented in court.
Rob Reiner, best known for his role in "All in the Family" and for directing films including "Stand By Me," "When Harry Met Sally," and "A Few Good Men," and Michele Singer Reiner, a photographer and producer, were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on December 14. Nick Reiner was arrested within hours and initially charged two days later.
The couple's eldest son, Jake Reiner, wrote publicly in April about the toll the loss and ongoing case have taken on the family, describing it as "a living nightmare" while asking for continued privacy. The case remains active, and no trial date has been set.
Related Article: Jake Reiner, Son of Rob and Michele Reiner, Breaks Silence on Tragic Night That Shattered His Family
