Prosecutors won't seek the death penalty for Nick Reiner

Nick Reiner in court in February. Chris Torres/Pool EPA via AP hide caption

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Chris Torres/Pool EPA via AP

Prosecutors say they will not seek the death penalty for 33-year-old Nick Reiner. Reiner was previously indicted on charges of killing his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.

"In deciding whether or not the DA's office was going to seek the death penalty, we have gone through a rigorous review, where we look at the aggravating factors as well as the mitigating factors," said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman at a press briefing Tuesday morning. "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."

A Los Angeles County grand jury indicted Reiner in July on two counts of first-degree murder. He was first charged with first-degree murder last December, two days after the lethal attack on his parents in their Los Angeles home.

In addition to the double murder charges, Reiner's indictment includes special allegations that he was "lying in wait."

He has pleaded not guilty.

If convicted, Reiner now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Hochman said prosecutors decided against capital punishment after discussions with law enforcement, and consultation with Nick Reiner's siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner.

At a pre-trial hearing, also on Tuesday, regarding whether to unseal grand jury indictment transcripts, Hochman shared statements on behalf of Jake and Romy Reiner. The siblings requested that the transcripts remain sealed to prevent further trauma.

Hochman said that due to the volume of discovery — the information and document gathering before trial — and ongoing legal proceedings, a trial is not anticipated to begin until at least next year.

"The brutal murders of Rob and Michele Reiner are ones that will never leave us," Hochman said. "We will be presenting the evidence that we believe will convict Nick Reiner beyond a reasonable doubt of all the charges he's been filed — that we have filed against him, or that the grand jury has filed at this point — as well as the special allegations."

On Monday night, Rob Reiner was honored at the Emmy Awards with a special tribute from Jamie Lee Curtis. He posthumously won an Emmy earlier this month for an appearance on The Bear.