Entering a formal plea of not guilty on Wednesday, Nick Reiner answered a grand jury indictment charging him in the fatal stabbings of his parents, actor-director Rob Reiner and photographer-producer Michele Singer Reiner, Fox News reports.
Unsealed after being handed down on July 20, the indictment formalizes two counts of murder against the 32-year-old defendant. The filing incorporates special circumstance allegations of lying in wait alongside multiple homicides, while also accusing him of weapon usage involving a knife.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman addressed the unsealed charges, stating, "This was a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing."
Hochman further commented on the grand jury's determination, "The indictment unsealed today also adds a special circumstance allegation that the defendant committed the murders by means of lying in wait. We hope that by having a grand jury return an indictment in this case it will bring us one step closer to a trial and achieving justice."
Law enforcement agencies allege that Nick carried out the fatal stabbing of his 78-year-old father and 70-year-old mother on Dec. 14, 2025, inside their home in Brentwood. Following a multi-agency search, authorities located and took Nick into custody near the University of Southern California campus at roughly 9:15 p.m., just hours after the victims were found.
The defendant had originally entered a not guilty plea to the double homicide counts in February, occurring one month after high-profile defense attorney Alan Jackson withdrew from his defense team.
Currently held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles, Nick faces two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbings.
A court appearance is set for Sept. 15. If convicted on the charged counts, the maximum potential penalties include life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or capital punishment, though prosecutors have yet to indicate whether they will seek the death penalty.