Prosecutors in the double murder case of Rob and Michelle Reiner have alleged Nick Reiner lay in wait before killing his parents at their Los Angeles home last December.
Reiner, 32, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to two counts of first degree murder and the new count of “lying in wait” contained in an indictment that was unsealed in a courtroom on Wednesday.
He also faces a special allegation that he used a “dangerous and deadly weapon”, namely a knife. The indictment replaces the previous indictment from last December and Reiner is scheduled to return for a pretrial hearing on September 15.
The accused faces death or life in state prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. At time of writing prosecutors had not said whether they will seek the death penalty.
“This was a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said.
Hochman continued, “The indictment unsealed today also adds a special circumstance allegation that the defendant committed the murders by means of lying in wait. 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 accused of murdering Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, at their home in the exclusive Brentwood suburb. He fled the scene and was arrested later that evening miles away in the Exposition Park area.
He pleaded not guilty in February and has been held in custody without bail since that time.
Lawyers for Reiner will argue in a probate hearing on Friday that he be allowed to access a portion of a $1.5m trust fund set up by his parents, in order to pay for his defence. He is currently represented by the public defender’s office.
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