Los Angeles County prosecutors have announced they will not seek the death penalty against Nick Reiner, 33, who is charged with the first-degree murder of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman made the announcement at a press briefing on Tuesday morning.
"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. "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."
If convicted, Nick Reiner now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A Los Angeles County grand jury indicted Reiner in July on two counts of first-degree murder. He was first charged with first-degree murder last December, two days after the lethal attack on his parents at their Los Angeles home. His indictment also includes special allegations that he was "lying in wait." He has pleaded not guilty.
Hochman said the decision against capital punishment was reached after discussions with law enforcement and consultation with Nick Reiner's siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner.
At a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday regarding whether to unseal grand jury indictment transcripts, Hochman shared statements on behalf of the siblings. Jake and Romy Reiner requested that the transcripts remain sealed to prevent further trauma.
Hochman also indicated that due to the volume of discovery and ongoing legal proceedings, a trial is not expected to begin until at least next year.
"The brutal murders of Rob and Michele Reiner are ones that will never leave us," Hochman said. "We will be presenting the evidence that we believe will convict Nick Reiner beyond a reasonable doubt of all the charges he's been filed — that we have filed against him, or that the grand jury has filed at this point — as well as the special allegations."
Separately, Rob Reiner was honored at the Emmy Awards on Monday night with a special tribute. He also posthumously won an Emmy earlier this month for an appearance on the television series The Bear.
