A 32-year-old Los Angeles son will not face the death penalty in the murders of his parents, prosecutors said.
Nick Reiner, 32, is accused of the first-degree murders of Rob and Michele Singer Reiner at their Los Angeles home.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the decision on Tuesday, September 15, before a pretrial hearing, NBC News reported.
“After a careful and thorough review of all these factors, the district attorney’s office will not be seeking the death penalty in this case,” Hochman told reporters.
“That means that the maximum sentence that Mr. Reiner will be looking at is life without the possibility of parole,” the prosecutor added.
It remains unclear what ultimately led to the decision. Both victims, however, were well-known death penalty abolitionists.
Hochman, 62, stated that prosecutors conferred directly with the defendant’s siblings before making their final determination.
“We did speak with Nick Reiner’s siblings, and they made their views very clear,” Hochman shared, referencing Jake and Romy Reiner.
“We took their views into consideration in ultimately deciding not to seek the death penalty,” the district attorney said.
According to an indictment obtained on August 12, the defendant is accused of murdering his parents on December 14, 2025.
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Rob Reiner was 78, and Michele was 70.
“This was a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing,” Hochman previously said in a statement. The unsealed indictment nevertheless added a special circumstance allegation that the defendant committed the murders by means of lying in wait.
“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,” Hochman stated.
The defendant has struggled with addiction and mental health issues over the years, according to the report.
Jake Reiner, 35, and Romy Reiner, 28, have tried to honor their parents’ legacy since the deaths. Still, the surviving siblings have also continued grieving in private.
“Nothing can prepare you for what it feels like to lose both parents instantly at the same time,” Jake, 35, wrote in an April essay shared to his Substack.
On September 5, Rob Reiner received a posthumous nomination during the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his turn as Albert Schnur in season 4 of FX’s The Bear.
The late star won the category. Presenter Wendi McLendon-Covey accepted the award on his behalf as the audience rose to give him a standing ovation.
The accused son previously pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder with the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder by means of lying in wait after the indictment was unsealed.
The case is now moving toward trial, where the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said.
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