Los Angeles prosecutors said Tuesday they will not seek the Nick Reiner death penalty in the case accusing the 33-year-old of killing his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office conducted a rigorous review of aggravating and mitigating factors before concluding capital punishment would not be pursued. He announced the decision at a morning briefing.
A county grand jury indicted Reiner in July on two counts of first-degree murder. He was initially charged last December, two days after the fatal attack at the family’s Los Angeles home. The indictment also includes a special allegation that he was lying in wait.
Reiner has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Why the Nick Reiner death penalty is not being pursued
Hochman said the decision followed consultations with law enforcement and with Reiner’s siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner. At a separate pre-trial hearing on Tuesday about whether to unseal grand jury transcripts, Hochman relayed statements from the siblings asking that the records remain sealed to avoid further trauma.
The district attorney added that, given the large volume of discovery and ongoing legal motions, a trial is unlikely to begin before next year.
Hochman said prosecutors intend to present evidence they believe will prove the charges, including the special allegations, beyond a reasonable doubt.
On Monday night, Rob Reiner was honored with a special tribute by Jamie Lee Curtis at the Emmy Awards. Earlier this month he posthumously won an Emmy for a guest appearance on The Bear.
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