Nick Reiner murder case to proceed in September, autopsy reports for parents Rob and Michele Reiner still not prepared
Nick Reiner murder case to proceed in September, autopsy reports for parents Rob and Michele Reiner still not prepared
Shania RussellWed, April 29, 2026 at 7:31 PM UTC
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Nick Reiner during his Feb. 23 arraignment at the Los Angeles County Superior CourtCredit: Chris Torres-Pool/GettyKey Points -
Nick Reiner appeared in court on Wednesday, April 29.
The 32-year-old previously pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner.
He is slated to return to court for a preliminary hearing in September, as the autopsy reports are still being completed.
Nick Reiner was back in court after pleading not guilty to the alleged murder of his parents, Rob and Michele Singer Reiner.
On April 29, the 32-year-old wore a yellow smock and plastic restraints as he sat stone-faced in the Los Angeles courtroom. The brief hearing, attended by PEOPLE, saw Nick waive his right to expedite the proceedings by agreeing to a general time waiver. A preliminary hearing has been set for Sept. 15.
Per the Los Angeles Times, Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Chung said prosecutors still have nearly two terabytes of discovery to provide to the defense and also noted that the autopsy reports in the case had yet to be completed. He did not provide a reason for the report delays remaining incomplete four months after the killings.
When contacted for comment, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's Office told Entertainment Weekly, "Due to the court order initiated by the LAPD, the Department cannot release any information related to these cases."
EW has also reached out to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office for comment.
During the hearing, Nick spoke only briefly, answering "yes" when Judge Sam Ohta asked him directly if he understood and agreed with the delay in the hearings.
Nick, who was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of his parents, previously pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles courtroom on Feb. 23. The arraignment occurred after two postponements and a change from one defense team to another. At the time, Nick waived his right to a speedy preliminary hearing and no bail was granted.
Rob and Michele Reiner with son Nick in 2013Credit: Michael Buckner/Getty
Nick has been in custody since his initial arrest after his parents Rob and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood, Calif., home on Dec. 14. Their death certificates revealed that they died within "minutes" of sustaining "multiple sharp force injuries" inflicted "with [a] knife, by another" in their home, reports PEOPLE.
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Rob, 78, was discovered by their daughter, Romy Reiner, at 3:45 p.m. local time, while Michele, 70, was found soon after. Hours later, Nick was arrested in the Exposition Park neighborhood and taken into custody at around 5:04 a.m. He was formally charged on Dec. 16.
If convicted, Nick faces life in state prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty in the case.
Prior to his parents' deaths, sources told PEOPLE that Nick and his father had been involved in a loud heated argument during Conan O'Brien's holiday party on Dec. 13, with one source recalling Nick "freaking everyone out" and "acting crazy." NBC News further reported that Nick's strange behavior had his parents and other guests worried and uncomfortable, prompting the family to leave early.
Jake Reiner, Nick Reiner, Romy Reiner, Michele Singer Reiner, and Rob Reiner in 2024Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty
In the wake of his arrest, reports emerged that Nick was prescribed medication for schizophrenia after being diagnosed years ago. His medication was reportedly changed or adjusted before the killings, though an exact timeframe for that alteration was not revealed.
Nick, who has previously spoken out about his struggles with drug addiction and homelessness, was placed on suicide watch at the correctional facility after being diagnosed with having a "mental disability" by medical staff. When the Being Charlie co-writer made his first court appearance on Dec. 17, he was shackled and wearing a sleeveless blue smock, which is intended to prevent its wearer from taking their own life.
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A Jan. 15 report from the New York Times claimed that Nick was ordered into a yearlong mental health conservatorship that began in 2020 and ended in 2021. Steven Baer, the licensed fiduciary who was appointed as Nick's conservator, told the outlet that mental illness "is an epidemic that is widely misunderstood and this is a horrible tragedy."
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
