Rob and Michele Reiner case: Son Nick indicted in double-murder case

Nick Reiner has been indicted on charges of murdering his parents, filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, in a development that moves the high-profile case closer to trial.

The 32-year-old was indicted by a grand jury on July 20, with the indictment unsealed Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty to the revised charges.

Reiner has been held without bail since his parents’ bodies were discovered at their Brentwood home in December. He was initially charged with two counts of murder, along with a special circumstance involving multiple murders, which could make him eligible for the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole if convicted.

The new indictment adds a special circumstance allegation of “lying in wait.”

The grand jury indictment allows prosecutors to bypass a preliminary hearing and proceed directly toward trial. No trial date has been set, although Reiner is scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on SeptEMBER 15.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the indictment was an important step toward bringing the case to trial.

“This was a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing,” Hochman said in a statement. “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.”

Reiner is currently represented by a public defender. His legal team previously sought access to $1.5 million from a trust account to allow him to rehire private defense attorney Alan Jackson, who had briefly represented him in the murder case.

A petition filed on Reiner’s behalf stated that he loved his parents and was devastated by their deaths.

A hearing on the request for access to the trust funds is scheduled for Friday in probate court.

The case has drawn significant attention because of Rob Reiner’s decades-long career in Hollywood. The acclaimed actor and filmmaker was known for directing films including This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally… and A Few Good Men, as well as playing Michael “Meathead” Stivic on the classic sitcom All in the Family.