A somber court appearance looms in Los Angeles as the son of Hollywood icon Rob Reiner prepares to formally answer charges tied to a brutal double homicide that stunned the entertainment world.
Nick Reiner, 32, is scheduled to return to Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, marking just his second appearance since authorities accused him of fatally stabbing his parents inside their Brentwood mansion last month, according to the New York Post.
Prosecutors allege that Reiner killed his father, the famed “When Harry Met Sally” director, and his mother, Michele Singer Reiner, in a violent outburst that ended their lives on Dec. 14.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Reiner is expected to be arraigned on two counts of first-degree murder.
If convicted, he faces the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty, though the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has not yet said whether it will seek capital punishment in the case.
During his initial court appearance in December, Reiner was placed in a blue suicide-prevention vest and held under close supervision. Authorities confirmed earlier this week that he has since been taken off suicide watch.
Investigators say the killings came just hours after a family appearance at Conan O’Brien’s holiday party, where Rob and Michele Reiner attended alongside their son.
Sources previously told The Post that Nick Reiner had argued with his parents during the gathering, allegedly amid concerns that he had relapsed and was refusing to return to rehab.
Later that night, prosecutors allege, Reiner attacked his parents inside their home, slashing their throats and leaving them dead. The couple, ages 78 and 70, were discovered the following day.
Reiner was arrested several hours after the alleged killings, roughly 15 miles from the family home near the University of Southern California campus.
The horrifying scene was uncovered after Nick’s sister, Romy Reiner, went to check on her parents when a massage therapist was unable to reach them at the gated property, according to The New York Times.
Nick Reiner is being represented by prominent defense attorney Alan Jackson, who recently drew national attention for securing an acquittal for Karen Read in a separate high-profile murder case.
Because the charges involve the alleged killing of more than one victim, prosecutors retain the option of seeking the death penalty.
However, California has not carried out an execution since Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order in 2019 placing a moratorium on capital punishment.
