Nick Reiner indicted on two counts of murder in the December stabbing deaths of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, following a grand jury action tied to the attack inside the family’s Brentwood home.
He pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to the murder charges, which include special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder by means of lying in wait, according to Los Angeles County officials.
Reiner, 32, appeared in a 13th-floor courtroom at the Criminal Courts Building in downtown Los Angeles to be arraigned on the indictment. Prosecutors said the new filing, returned last month, supersedes the original murder case brought in 2025 and adds the lying-in-wait allegation.
Special circumstance allegations can increase potential penalties if there is a conviction.
“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 J. Hochman said in a statement.
His court-appointed attorney, L.A. Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene, declined to comment after the hearing.
Nick Reiner indicted as case moves toward trial
The indictment allows the case to proceed directly to a jury trial without a public preliminary hearing, which had been anticipated for the fall, according to court officials.
Prosecutors also alleged that Reiner personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife.
Reiner is being held without bail. He was arrested on Dec. 15, one day after his parents were found dead in their bedroom. A court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 15.
If convicted, he faces either the death penalty or life in state prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors said a decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made later.
Rob Reiner, 78, a renowned filmmaker whose credits include “When Harry Met Sally…,” “A Few Good Men,” and “This Is Spinal Tap,” and Michele Reiner, 70, a photographer and producer, were widely mourned by colleagues in entertainment and by political figures.
The family had spoken publicly over the years about challenges involving Nick, including drug addiction. Nick Reiner has previously discussed his struggles with addiction, telling People in 2016 that his drug use began in his teens and led to multiple stints in treatment, periods of homelessness, and relapses.
The family last appeared together publicly in September at the Los Angeles premiere of “Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues.”
The case comes as other high-profile homicide prosecutions, including D4vd charged with murder: new details examined, continue to move through the courts.