Grand jury indicts Nick Reiner for murder of parents Rob and Michele Reiner, adding lying-in-wait allegation

Grand jury indictment unsealed

A Los Angeles County grand jury returned an indictment on July 20, 2026, charging Nick Reiner with two counts of murder enhanced by special circumstances in the deaths of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Reiner. The indictment was unsealed on Wednesday, August 12, and Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty during a brief court appearance. The charges include special circumstance allegations of multiple murders, murder by means of lying in wait, and a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife. The grand jury route allows prosecutors to bypass a public preliminary hearing where they would otherwise have to present witness testimony to establish probable cause.

The killings

Rob Reiner, described as 78 by Reuters and 79 by France 24, and Michele Reiner, 70, were found stabbed to death in the primary bedroom of their home in the affluent Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on December 14, 2025. The county medical examiner determined both died from "multiple sharp force injuries." Nick Reiner was arrested the same day, just hours after the bodies were discovered, and has been held in custody without bail since. Judge Theresa McGonigle has repeatedly denied bail. Nick Reiner, the middle child of the couple's three children, lived in a guest house on his parents' property.

Prosecution strategy and celebrity witnesses

The decision to use a grand jury means the case will go straight to trial without a public preliminary hearing. Trial lawyer Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told Rolling Stone that grand juries are sometimes convened in Los Angeles to protect celebrity witnesses from the spectacle of a public hearing. "This case has a lot of celebrity witnesses. This was Conan O'Brien's Christmas party. There were so many people there," Rahmani said. Nick Reiner and his parents had attended a party at the home of comedian Conan O'Brien on December 13, the night before the killings, where some attendees reportedly said Nick had behaved erratically. The "lying in wait" allegation indicates prosecutors aim to show the killings were premeditated.

District Attorney's statement

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman issued a statement on Wednesday.

This was a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing. We hope that by having a grand jury return an indictment in this case it will bring us one step closer to a trial and achieving justice.

The special circumstances make Nick Reiner eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without parole, though California does not routinely carry out capital punishment. Hochman said authorities will decide whether to seek the death penalty at a later date.

Mental health, family tensions, and legal funding

Nick Reiner had a documented history of substance abuse and mental health struggles. Sources confirmed to Rolling Stone that he had been treated for schizophrenia before the killings, and a source told The New York Times he had also been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. The Times further reported he had been placed in a confidential conservatorship in 2020 and was on psychiatric medication that appeared to be working before side effects led him to stop. Nick Reiner recently requested funds from a parental trust to cover legal fees, but his siblings refused to release the money, leaving him represented by a public defender. A court hearing on that request is expected in August. The couple's eldest son, Jake Reiner, addressed the deaths publicly in April, writing on Substack: "We lost more than half of our family that night in the most violent way imaginable." A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for September 15.