After the murder of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, Nick Reiner appeared in court for his arraignment on murder charges.
Nick Reiner’s parents were found dead in their Brentwood, Los Angeles home on December 14 and it was established that he was the guilty party. At his court hearing, Reiner appeared with a newly shaved head.
Nick, 32, boasted a five o’clock shadow and a khaki jumpsuit to his arraignment in Los Angeles on Wednesday, January 7, with his attorney Alan Jackson. During the hearing, he said with his hands in cuffs, while Jackson withdrew from the case, leaving Nick reassigned a public defender. According to CBS News, the attorney believes that Nick is not guilty of the murder of his parents.
As noted by the New York Times, the defendant appeared to be on the verge of tears during his appearance and waived his right to finish his arraignment on January 7. The court proceedings were then rescheduled for February 23.
BREAKING: After withdrawing as counsel for #NickReiner, claiming he was legally prohibited from saying why, attorney Alan Jackson: “Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. We wish him the very best moving forward.” Reiner will be repped by public defender. Back in court 2/23/26. pic.twitter.com/pX7hJloSWc
— Nancy Loo (@NancyLoo) January 7, 2026
According to an LA County sheriff’s source, on Monday, January 5, Nick was no longer on suicide watch at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown LA, prior to his arraignment. Before this, he was placed under heightened supervision when he entered the prison system on December 15. He had been held in solitary confinement in the weeks following his arrest for his parents’ deaths.
According to the sheriff’s source, Nick is required to wear a jail issued shirt and blue pants, as the prison had removed the suicide-prevention smock he had been required to wear at all times since his first appearance on December 17.
Reiner is facing two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his parents, film director Rob, 78, and photographer Michele, 70. The couple had died from “multiple sharp force injuries.”
🚨 Nick Reiner’s murder trial just took a shocking turn—his high-profile attorney Alan Jackson has abruptly exited the case. pic.twitter.com/VlsosPcYqj
— TMZ (@TMZ) January 7, 2026
Meanwhile, the LA County District Attorney, Nathan J. Hochman, is also pursuing a murder conviction with “special circumstances.” This new designation could make the defendant eligible for the death penalty or life in prison with no parole.
As previously reported, police had previously been called to the Reiners’ Los Angeles home for welfare-check calls. They were called to the home twice while Nick was living there with his parents. One call was coded as a welfare check, while a second call was classified as mental-health related. Prior to the deaths of his parents, Nick was reportedly being treated for schizophrenia and was treated with medication for this.
Rob first met Michele when he was directing the movie, When Harry Met Sally. and it was love at first sight. They were married in 1989, and also shared another son, Jake, 34, and a daughter, Romy, 28. Moreover, Rob also shared another daughter, Tracey, 61, with his first wife, the late Penny Marshall.
Rob also directed a Stephen King story, Stand By Me, back in the day. The horror author was almost brought to tears when first watching the adaptation of his book, as it so accurately reflected his story, and the fact that it was based on King’s own life as a boy. Recently, King admitted that he isn’t a “hugger” but he felt the need to hug the film director who made such an incredible adaptation of his life and his book.
