Filmmaker Rob Reiner’s son pleads innocent in parents’ fatal stabbing case
Nick Reiner has been held without bail since his arrest just hours after Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were found dead at their home in the posh Brentwood section of Los Angeles on December 14.
Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old son of acclaimed director Rob Reiner, pleaded not guilty Monday to two counts of first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of his parents in December.
Renner’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Green, entered the plea on his behalf as he stood behind glass in a closed detention area of a packed Los Angeles courtroom.
Nick Reiner, the third of Rob Reiner’s four children, has been held without bail since his arrest hours after the actor-director and his wife, Michelle Singer Reiner, 36, were found dead at their home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles on Dec. 14.
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Renner appeared in court with his head shaved and wearing gray prison clothes. He spoke briefly to his lawyer before the judge began the hearing and spoke only to answer yes to one of the judge’s questions. He was not wearing a suicide prevention smock during his first court appearance in December.
The judge asked Renner to return to court on April 29 to schedule a preliminary hearing, where prosecutors will present evidence and a judge will decide whether it is good enough for Renner to go to trial.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman said outside court that his office had not yet decided whether it would seek the death penalty for Renner.
Renner’s not guilty plea is common for criminal defendants at this stage of the case, regardless of their long-term plans.
Renner’s previous lawyer, high-profile private attorney Alan Jackson, had to leave the case during a hearing in January because of circumstances beyond his and his client’s control. He said that legal ethics would not allow him to say why, but in parting he firmly declared that “according to the laws of California, Nick Renner is not guilty of murder.”
Jackson did not elaborate but said the conclusion came after several weeks of intensive investigation before turning the case over to his team. He said he wanted to push against false reporting on the case.
It is unclear who hired Jackson to represent Renner or who was paying the bill. Typically, defendants use public defenders when they cannot afford a private attorney.
Deputy District Attorney Habib Baliyan said Monday that his office is still awaiting the full autopsy report in the case, but all other evidence has been turned over to the defense.
Rob Reiner, 78, and Michelle Singer Reiner, 70, died from “multiple sharp force injuries,” the LA County Medical Examiner said in preliminary findings. Authorities said he was killed just hours before the bodies were found. The court order prohibits the release of further details and officials have not said anything about possible motives.
Rob Reiner was a prolific director whose work included some of the most memorable and unwatchable films of the 1980s and 90s. His credits include “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Stand by Me,” “A Few Good Men,” and “When Harry Met Sally…” During the production of which he met photographer Michelle Singer and married her soon after.
