Grand Jury Indicts Nick Reiner for Parents' Murders, Alleges Lying in Wait

A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted Nick Reiner on murder charges in the killings of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, adding the allegation that he was lying in wait before attacking them.

The grand jury returned the indictment on July 20, and it was unsealed Wednesday, when Nick Reiner entered a not guilty plea. Rob Reiner, a director, actor, and Hollywood luminary, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, a photographer and producer, were stabbed to death in their home in the upscale Brentwood section of Los Angeles on December 14.

Nick Reiner was arrested within hours of the discovery of the bodies and charged two days later. The grand jury indictment is a major step toward trial and allows prosecutors to skip California's preliminary hearing process, where evidence is publicly aired. The allegation of lying in wait means a suspect waited for or hid from victims in order to ambush them, and it is meant to show premeditation.

A finding that he was lying in wait, along with a murder conviction, would make Reiner eligible for the death penalty, though prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek it. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated, "This was a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing."

Reiner also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife. If convicted as charged, Reiner faces death or life in state prison without the possibility of parole. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 15.