LOS ANGELES (CN) - Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty to the murder of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele.
The 32-year-old appeared briefly in a downtown LA courtroom Monday morning, his hair closely cropped, wearing a chocolate brown jumpsuit. His hands appeared to be shackled. He did not speak.
The 78-year-old director of "This is Spinal Tap" and "The Princess Bride" was found dead along with his wife, Michelle, at their home in Brentwood on Dec. 14, 2025. According to an initial report by the LA County Medical Examiner, the couple died from "multiple sharp force injuries." Nick, their second of three children, was arrested later that day and charged with murder.
At a press conference after the arraignment, District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office had not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty, noting the decision would be made only after a "rigorous process." No execution has taken place in California since 2006.
It is also unclear whether or not Reiner will seek to be declared mentally unfit to stand trial. According to the Los Angeles Times, he was prescribed medication for schizophrenia before the murder. He has talked in past interviews about struggles with addiction to heroin and other drugs, has been in and out of rehab and even experienced homelessness.
The night before the murders, Nick Reiner attended a holiday party with his dad at the home of talk show host Conan O'Brien, where his behavior reportedly made guests uncomfortable. According to The New York Times, he and his dad got into a shouting match.
Reiner is being represented by a public defender, Kimberly Greene. He had previously hired a prominent defense attorney, Alan Jackson, who in the past has defended the likes of Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey. Jackson abruptly withdrew from the case in January without saying why - although he did tell a large scrum of reporters, "You can take this to the bank: Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that!"
Source: Courthouse News Service
