Murder charge against Nick Reiner Son of star director Rob Reiner rejects blame for his parents' deaths
Nick Reiner at his arraignment: He pleaded "not guilty".
Image: dpa
Nick Reiner (r.) is the youngest son of Rob and Michele Reiner. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The violent deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner have caused worldwide consternation. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
Nick Reiner at his arraignment: He pleaded "not guilty".
Image: dpa
Nick Reiner (r.) is the youngest son of Rob and Michele Reiner. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The violent deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner have caused worldwide consternation. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The violent deaths of "Harry and Sally" director Rob Reiner and his wife in December caused consternation. The couple's son has been charged with murder - now he has pleaded not guilty.
24.02.2026, 06:00
24.02.2026, 06:13
dpa
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, accused of murdering his parents, has pleaded not guilty in court.
- 32-year-old Nick Reiner appeared in court for his arraignment in Los Angeles.
- The violent deaths of "Harry and Sally" director Reiner and his wife Michele shortly before Christmas caused consternation and grief far beyond Hollywood.
- If convicted, Nick Reiner faces life imprisonment, possibly even the death penalty.
The violent deaths of "Harry and Sally" director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele shortly before Christmas caused consternation and grief far beyond Hollywood. Just hours after the couple were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home, police took their youngest son into custody on suspicion of murder. Nick Reiner has now made his first public statement on the allegations.
In court in Los Angeles, the 32-year-old accused of murder pleaded not guilty. He appeared for the arraignment on Monday (local time) with his hair cropped short and wearing a brown prisoner's jumpsuit. He has been in custody since his arrest in December. In the courtroom, he was separated from his surroundings by a pane of glass. Public defender Kimberly Greene spoke on behalf of her client, Reiner only spoke once to answer a question from the judge. The next court hearing is scheduled for the end of April.
Reiner was arrested on the street near a gas station at night, about six hours after his slain parents were discovered in a bedroom in their Brentwood neighborhood mansion. The public prosecutor's office charged the 32-year-old with two counts of premeditated murder in mid-December. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment, possibly even the death penalty.
Possible death penalty
District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman confirmed on Monday that he would examine whether the death penalty was appropriate in this case. They are currently awaiting the final coroner's report. Defendants can be sentenced to death in California, but the execution of death sentences has been suspended in the state for years.
"Rob Reiner was one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation," Hochman wrote in a statement in December. The couple's murder was "shocking and tragic". "This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal, not only for the Reiner family and their friends, but for our entire city," Police Chief Jim McDonnell said at the time.
Son Nick spoke about drug addiction
In the past, Nick Reiner had repeatedly spoken publicly about his struggle with drug addiction and mental health problems. He had been in rehab many times as a teenager and had often lived on the streets as a homeless person, he told People magazine in 2016.
The previous year, Rob Reiner had made "Being Charlie", a film about the difficult relationship between an 18-year-old drug addict named Charlie and his father. His son Nick worked on the screenplay. The director told the magazine "The New Yorker" at the time that working on the film was like going to therapy together. Nick Reiner is said to have last lived in a guest house on his parents' property.
Insanity as a trial strategy?
The circumstances raise the question of whether Reiner's lawyers will use his mental state in their defense. They could argue that the defendant was suffering from a serious mental disorder at the time of the crime and that admission to a psychiatric facility would be appropriate instead of prison. Trial observers expect the proceedings to be lengthy.
Rob Reiner, director of hit films such as "Harry and Sally", "Misery" and "A Matter of Honor", was 78 years old. His wife Michele (70) worked as a photographer and film producer. The couple, who had been married since 1989, had three children together: Jake, Nick and Romy. The director also adopted the daughter of his first wife Penny Marshall.
The loss of their parents was "terrible and devastating", Jake and Romy Reiner said in a joint statement in December. "Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we feel every moment of every day. The terrible and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something no one should ever have to experience. They weren't just our parents, they were our best friends."
