New indictment alleges Nick Reiner was lying in wait before killing parents Rob and Michele Reiner
- A Los Angeles County grand jury indicted Nick Reiner on murder charges in the killings of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, and added a lying-in-wait allegation.
- The indictment was returned on July 20 and unsealed Wednesday, when Reiner, 32, pleaded not guilty.
- Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were stabbed to death at their home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, on Dec. 14, and Nick Reiner was arrested within hours.
- Prosecutors said the grand jury process moves the case toward trial and avoids a public preliminary hearing, but they have not disclosed a motive.
- A finding of lying in wait along with a murder conviction could make Reiner eligible for the death penalty, though prosecutors have not decided whether to seek it.
A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted Nick Reiner on murder charges in the deaths of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, and added an allegation that he was lying in wait before the attack. The indictment was returned on July 20 and was unsealed Wednesday, when the 32-year-old entered a not guilty plea.
Rob Reiner, the actor and director, and Michele Singer Reiner, a photographer and producer, were stabbed to death in their home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles on Dec. 14. Nick Reiner was arrested within hours and charged two days later. Prosecutors said the grand jury indictment is a significant step toward trial and allows them to bypass California’s preliminary hearing process.
The indictment does not explain how or why prosecutors say he was lying in wait, and the case has remained largely secret. Prosecutors have not said what motive, if any, they believe was involved. The special allegation of using a deadly weapon, a knife, could also support a harsher sentence.
If lying in wait is proven along with a murder conviction, Reiner could become eligible for the death penalty, though prosecutors have said they have not decided whether to seek it. Reiner is also seeking access to trust funds his parents set up for him to help pay for his defense, and a hearing on that petition is scheduled for next week.
新起诉书称尼克·赖纳在杀害父母罗布和米歇尔·赖纳前曾埋伏守候
洛杉矶县大陪审团以谋杀罪起诉尼克·赖纳，指控他杀害父母罗布·赖纳和米歇尔·辛格·赖纳，并追加称他在行凶前曾“埋伏守候”。起诉书于7月20日作出，并在周三解封；32岁的赖纳当天表示不认罪。
罗布·赖纳是演员和导演，米歇尔·辛格·赖纳是摄影师和制片人，两人于12月14日在洛杉矶布伦特伍德家中被刺死。尼克·赖纳在数小时内被捕，两天后遭到起诉。检方表示，大陪审团起诉使案件向审判推进，也让案件可以避开加州公开进行的初步听证程序。
这份起诉书没有解释检方所称“埋伏守候”的具体经过，案件整体也长期处于保密状态。检方没有说明他们认为是否存在作案动机。起诉书还包含使用致命武器的特别指控，具体为刀具，这也可能导致更重的量刑。
如果“埋伏守候”指控成立且最终被判谋杀罪名成立，赖纳可能具备死刑适用资格，不过检方说尚未决定是否寻求死刑。与此同时，赖纳还在申请动用其父母为他设立的信托资金来支付辩护费用，相关听证会定于下周举行。