Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty on Monday to two counts of first-degree murder in the December killing of his parents, actor-director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
The 32-year-old son is facing potential death penalty charges for the stabbing deaths that shocked the entertainment industry.
Reiner appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court with a shaved head, wearing brown jail clothes in an enclosed custody area. He spoke only to answer “yes” to a question from the judge during the brief arraignment hearing.
Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene represented Reiner, who has been held without bail since his December arrest. Prosecutors have not decided whether to seek the death penalty, though Reiner is eligible under the charges.
The bodies of Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 72, were discovered with stab wounds on December 14 at their Brentwood home. Nick Reiner was arrested hours later in the Exposition Park area near USC, approximately 14 miles from the crime scene.
Police said he did not resist arrest. He was charged on December 16 with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances of multiple murders and using a knife as a dangerous weapon.
Nick Reiner is the third of Rob Reiner’s four children. The father-son duo had previously collaborated on the 2015 film “Being Charlie,” which Nick co-wrote as a semi-autobiographical exploration of his struggles with substance abuse.
Rob Reiner’s career spanned decades, from starring in “All in the Family” to directing classics including “Stand by Me,” “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally,” and “A Few Good Men.”
