Nick Reiner won’t face death penalty in parents’ killings, prosecutor says
Prosecutors announced that Nick Reiner will not face the death penalty if he is convicted of killing his parents Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
Reiner was indicted on charges of murdering his parents last month, with authorities adding the allegation that he was lying in wait before attacking them.
He 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.
Jake Reiner breaks his silence following the murder of his parents
On Tuesday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the maximum sentence Reiner faces is life without parole.
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“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,” Hochman said outside the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. “We have spoken to the victim’s family, we have spoken to prosecutors, law enforcement, and have worked with the most senior people in the district attorney’s office.”
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“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,” Hochman added.
Hochman said that he estimates that Reiner’s trial “will not occur before 2027.”
“However, when the defence is ready to proceed, the government will be ready to proceed,” he added.
Reiner is due in court on Tuesday for a hearing in regards to unsealing of the grand jury transcripts, Hochman said.
Reiner’s siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner, have expressed a “strong desire for these transcripts to remain sealed,” Hochman said.
Jake and Romy Reiner “basically have said the disclosure to the public and media of the details and evidence of the killing of their parents will cause them additional trauma and harm,” he added.
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Hochman said that his team has “made it clear to the court that under the standards of whether or not unsealing the transcripts would prejudice the government’s investigation, or prejudice the right to a defendant’s fair and impartial trial, that we do not believe that unsealing the transcripts will cause such prejudice.”
Nick Reiner indicted on murder charges in deaths of parents Rob and Michele Reiner
Reiner was arrested on Dec. 15 after his 78-year-old father and 70-year-old mother were found dead with stab wounds in their home in the upscale Brentwood section of Los Angeles on Dec. 14, 2025.
Reiner was set to enter a plea in January at a hearing in Los Angeles before his defence attorney, Alan Jackson, announced that he was withdrawing from the case. Reiner is now represented by public defender Kimberly Greene.
“This morning I had to withdraw as Nick Reiner’s counsel. Circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control, have dictated that, sadly, it’s made it impossible for us to continue our representation,” Jackson told reporters outside the courthouse in January.
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“Be very, very clear about this — my team and I remain deeply, deeply committed to Nick Reiner and to his best interests,” Jackson said. “In fact, we know, we’re not just convinced, we know that the legal process will reveal the true facts of the circumstances surrounding this case.”
“What we’ve learned — and you can take this to the bank — is that pursuant to the law in this state, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that,” Jackson added.
Following the news, Reiner’s family told the New York Times in a statement that they “have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings.”
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