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Rob Reiner's son Nick Reiner appeared in court for the first time Wednesday on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the alleged killing of his parents.
The 32-year-old did not enter a plea when he emerged from behind the glass wall of the detention room. He was shackled and wearing a prison suicide-prevention gown.
Reiner's arraignment was postponed until January 7 at the request of his lawyer. He spoke only to say “yes, your honor” to agree to a date.
After the hearing, Nick Reiner's lawyer, Alan Jackson, called the case “a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family.” According to him, the proceedings will be very difficult.
“And we ask that as you go through this process, you allow the system to move forward the way it was designed,” Jackson said outside the courthouse. “Not with hasty judgments, not with hasty conclusions.”
Jackson refused to answer questions from dozens of reporters surrounding him.
Nick Reiner appeared briefly in court Wednesday after being charged with the murders of his parents, actor and director Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner. Nick Reiner's lawyer, Alan Jackson, called the Reiners' murder a “devastating tragedy” and urged the public to trust the judicial process and not rush to judgment or jump to conclusions.
Nick's older brother Jake Reiner and younger sister Romi Reiner also released a statement through a family representative on Wednesday.
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we experience every moment of the day,” they said. “The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michelle Reiner, is something no one should ever have to endure. They weren't just our parents; they were our best friends.”
The brother and sister said they were “grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness and support we have received not only from family and friends, but from people from all walks of life.
“We now ask for respect and privacy, that speculation be tempered with compassion and humanity, and that our parents be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave.”
Nick Reiner was charged Tuesday with the murders of actor and director Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michelle Singer Reiner, 68, law enforcement officials said at a news conference yesterday.
“Their loss is beyond tragic, and we will be committed to bringing their killer to justice,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at a news conference Tuesday with Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell.
In addition to the two counts of first-degree murder, prosecutors added special circumstances to multiple murders and a special allegation that the defendant used a dangerous weapon, a knife.
Hochman said his office has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty in the case. Reiner is currently being held without bail.
“This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones, but for our entire city,” McDonnell said.
The announcement comes after a couple was found dead of apparent stab wounds at their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of West Los Angeles on Sunday.
Nick Reiner offered no resistance when he was arrested hours later in the city's Exposition Park area near the University of Southern California, about 22 kilometers from the crime scene, police said.
Rob Reiner was an Emmy Award-winning sitcom star. All in the family who continued to make films, including When Harry Met Sally… And Princess Bride. He was an outspoken liberal activist for decades.
Michelle Singer Reiner was a photographer, film producer, and 2SLGBTQ+ advocate. They were married for 36 years.
Some of those closest to them, including actors Billy Crystal, Albert Brooks, Martin Short and Larry David, released a statement Tuesday night mourning and celebrating the couple.
“Together they were a special force – dynamic, selfless and inspiring,” the statement said. “We were their friends and we will miss them forever.”
Nick Rayner was scheduled to make his first court appearance on Tuesday, but his lawyer said he was not transported from jail to the courthouse for medical reasons and the appearance was rescheduled for Wednesday.
Jackson is a prominent attorney and former Los Angeles County prosecutor who represented Harvey Weinstein in Los Angeles and Karen Reed in her closely watched trials in Massachusetts. He was a central figure in an HBO documentary about Reed's case.
On the other side will be Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian, whose recent cases included the Menendez brothers' bid for a new sentence and the trial of Robert Durst.
Authorities have said nothing about a motive for the killings or provided details when asked at a news conference.
