Rob Reiner‘s son could face death for his parents’ murder or spend the rest of his life behind bars
The L.A. County District Attorney today announced Nick Reiner will be charged with two counts of first degree murder for the alleged killing of his parents. if found guilty, the younger Reiner could face life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
More striking, Nick Reiner could also face the death penalty.
Even though it is rare and unlikely in California, the death penalty is a possibility here because of the “special circumstances” of multiple murders that the DA’s office has added to the claims. The charges are in the process of being filed right now, and the younger Reiner could be arraigned as early as this afternoon or Wednesday.
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DA Nathan Hochman revealed that he has not yet made a decision if his prosecutors will seek the death penalty for the younger Reiner, but made clear they could. Hochman added that his team will weigh and listen to the “thoughts and desires of the family” before making that potentially fatal choice.
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The 78-year-old A Few Good Men director and his 68-year-old spouse were found dead of multiple stab wounds on December 14 in their Brentwood home. Nick Reiner was arrested later that night and is currently behind bars in downtown LA booked on murder. Even with today’s charges and eventually filing, the DA’s office and the police both said the investigation into what happened at the Reiner residence is ongoing.
The 32-year-old Reiner has had a long and public history of addiction and battles with substance abuse — as made evident in the 2015 Being Charlie film Nick Reiner made with his father.
As Deadline reported previously, Nick Reiner had been living with his parents at their house for the past several weeks. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell admitted today that law enforcement, who were called to the residence around 3:30 pm PT on Sunday, did not have an actual time of death as of yet.
As expected, DA Hochman made the charges against Nick Reiner public at a press conference in downtown LA surrounded by the LAPD Chief and members of the DA’s office.
“Do I anticipate it being particularly fast? No,” Hochman said of the high-profile matter that was committed with a “deadly weapon or a knife.” The DA added: “I anticipate it being rather through.”
Tuesday, Nick Reiner’s newly minted defense lawyer Alan Jackson said it will be a “day-to-day” approach for his client, especially when it comes to court appearances. Still not facing official charges this morning, Nick Reiner did not show up for a hearing, because, according to Jackson, he had not gone through the process of being “medically cleared.” It is unclear if Reiner will make a court appearance later today or not.
Justice isn’t supposed to be based on what the victim’s family wants. If that is the deciding factor it opens the system up to corruption when rich families pay off the victim’s families to ask for lighter sentencing. It he did enough for the death penalty then he should be facing it and let the jury decide not the family of the victims.
Sounds nice, but there is no way California is going to use the death penalty. That is just not going to happen.
So many details of what’s been learned in the investigation is not yet public, but a 1st degree charge would suggest they have evidence showing it was premeditated. I thought given knife, it was more in the moment. Interesting development.
California has the death penalty on the books but will never use it. To use it would get the anti-death penalty cause going again. To rescind it would anger the pro-death penalty people. So the status quo will remain indefinitely.
He’s going to be found not guilty by reason of insanity.