Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced that he will not seek the death penalty against Nick Reiner, who is accused of murdering his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, if he is found guilty.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Hochman said the decision was made after carefully reviewing the case and speaking with the Reiner family about what outcome they wanted pursued in the judicial process.
Reiner, 33, is accused of fatally stabbing his parents at their home in Brentwood on December 14, 2025. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, including an allegation of murder by ambush and the use of a deadly weapon.
Court hearing over sealed grand jury records
Reiner, the son of director Rob Reiner, is due to appear in court this Tuesday for a hearing in which a judge will decide whether transcripts and documents from the grand jury that indicted him last August will remain sealed, as requested by the defense.
According to ABC, Hochman said the defendant's siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner, expressed a "strong desire" for the records to stay sealed because of the additional trauma and harm that public disclosure could cause them.
Rob Reiner directed several Hollywood classics, including When Harry Met Sally... and This Is Spinal Tap.
Brother's personal essay
In April, older brother Jake Reiner wrote a personal essay describing how he learned of his parents' deaths and how painful the loss has been for him and his sister Romy.
Jake Reiner also reflected on the extraordinary experiences he had growing up as the child of a Hollywood star. He described his father as his hero and his mother as a loving and unconditional presence, and did not mention Nick in the essay.
Background on the case
Nick Reiner remains in custody without the right to bail. He has spoken publicly in the past about his years-long struggle with substance addiction.
He was also diagnosed with schizophrenia several years ago, while some media outlets have reported that he was being treated for a serious psychiatric disorder at the time of the killing, meaning that condition is expected to carry significant weight in the case.
