The Hollywood couple was found dead from an apparent homicide in their Los Angeles home on Dec. 14, 2025.

Nick Reiner will not face the death penalty if convicted of murders of parents Rob and Michele Reiner

The Hollywood couple was found dead from an apparent homicide in their Los Angeles home on Dec. 14, 2025.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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and Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

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September 15, 2026 11:50 a.m. ET

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Nick Reiner at his arraignment Feb. 23 in Los Angeles. Credit:

CHRIS TORRES/POOL/AFP via Getty

- The Los Angeles D.A. announced that Nick Reiner won’t face the death penalty if convicted of the murders of his parents Rob and Michele Reiner.

- “The maximum sentence that Mr. Reiner will be looking at is life without the possibility of parole,” district attorney Nathan Hochman announced.

- Rob and Michele Reiner were found fatally stabbed in their Brentwood home in December 2025.

The Los Angeles district attorney announced Tuesday that Nick Reiner won’t face the death penalty if convicted of the murder of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer-producer Michele Reiner.

Nathan Hochman shared the update speaking to reporters outside the Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, Sept. 15. “In deciding whether or not the D.A.’s office was going to seek the death penalty... we have spoken to the victim’s family. We have spoken to prosecutors, law enforcement, and I’ve worked with the most senior people in the district attorney’s office,” he said in part.

“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. That means that the maximum sentence that Mr. Reiner will be looking at is life without the possibility of parole.”

In August, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced that a grand jury indictment returned on July 20 had been unsealed, charging Nick with the murders of his parents. Nick was indicted in the fatal stabbings, which replaced the original murder charges filed last year.

The indictment also included a new special-circumstance allegation of lying in wait. This allegation makes Nick eligible for life in prison without parole or the death penalty if convicted. After the indictment was unsealed, Nick pleaded not guilty.

Nick’s siblings Jake and Romy testified before the grand jury that indicted him on murder charges.

After he was indicted, Nick was denied access to the $1.5 million trust set up by his parents due to a “slayer statute” in California. He intended to use the money to pay for his legal defense and basic necessities while in prison. The incoming fiduciary set to oversee the trust is obligated to Nick, as well as his siblings, opposed the request. The statute states that people cannot inherit money or property from people that they “feloniously and intentionally” kill.

In response, Nick’s lawyer Anita P. Wu told *The New York Times*, “The slayer statute requires a determination, not a mere accusation.”

Michele Reiner, Rob Reiner, and Nick Reiner in Los Angeles in August 2013.

Michael Buckner/Getty

Reiner previously appeared in court on April 29, where he waived his right to expedite proceedings by agreeing to a general time waiver. During the brief hearing, Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Chung explained that additional time would be needed as prosecutors still had nearly two terabytes of discovery to provide to the defense, and the autopsy reports for Michele and Rob had yet to be completed, four months after the killings occurred.

Nick has been in custody since his initial arrest after his parents were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood, Calif., home on the afternoon of Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. *The New York Times* reported that Romy discovered her father’s body upon entering their home and fled, prompting her roommate — who accompanied her to the Reiner’s home — to call 911. Paramedics arrived to discover Michele’s body as well.

Rob Reiner's son Jake says it's 'almost too impossible to process' having brother Nick at 'center' of family tragedy

Inmate shares email from Michele Reiner sent hours before she and Rob were killed

Hours later, Nick was arrested in the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles in connection with the deaths of his parents. In the weeks following, multiple outlets reported that prior to the deaths, Nick was prescribed medication for schizophrenia. The *Stand By Me* filmmaker’s son was diagnosed with schizophrenia years ago and had been treating it with medication.

Nick and his parents attended Conan O’Brien‘s holiday party on Dec. 13 prior to Rob and Michele’s deaths where they allegedly engaged in a heated argument. Sources told PEOPLE that Nick was “freaking everyone out” and “acting crazy.” NBC News further reported that Nick’s strange behavior had his parents and other guests worried and uncomfortable, prompting the family to leave early.

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On Dec. 16, Nick was formally charged with two counts of murder with the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders. He also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife. He pleaded not guilty to the murder charges in February.

Nick Reiner during his arraignment Feb. 23 in Los Angeles.

Chris Torres-Pool/Getty

Romy and Jake initially shared a joint statement mourning their parents on Dec. 17.

“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” they said. “The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”

In April, Jake penned an essay detailing the devastating moment he learned that his parents had been killed.

“I can’t even begin to put myself in my parents’ shoes, but one thing I keep coming back to is how frightened they must have been,” he wrote. “They were the last people in the world to deserve what happened to them. They deserved to be loved, they deserved to be respected, and above all they deserved to be appreciated for how much they gave to all three of us and to the world.”

He added, “We lost more than half of our family that night in the most violent way imaginable. Sure, any loss of a parent is devastating, but nothing compares to losing both of them at the same time and, on top of that, having your brother be at the center of it. It’s almost too impossible to process.”

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