Rob Reiner’s son Nick to be charged with first degree murder : NPR
Michele Singer Reiner, Rob Reiner and their son Nick in 2013.
Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Teen Vogue
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Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Teen Vogue
Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a news conference Tuesday that the charges include a “special circumstance” of multiple murders and a “special allegation” that Reiner used a dangerous and deadly weapon – a knife.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“At this point, no decision has been made regarding the death penalty,” Hochman added.
Hochman called Rob Reiner “an iconic force in our entertainment industry” and his wife Michele Singer Reiner “an equally iconic photographer and producer.” The police became aware of their deaths on Sunday after a call from the firefighters. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the cause and time of deaths are not available at this time, pending updates from the coroner’s office.
Alan Hamilton, The deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department said Nick Reiner was arrested in public Sunday in the Los Angeles Fairgrounds area near the University of Southern California campus. In response to questions, McDonnell said he was unable to say whether or not Nick Reiner was under the influence of drugs at the time of his arrest. Reiner had spoken openly about his struggles with addiction in the past.
When asked if there was evidence of mental illness in Nick Reiner’s background, Hochman said “any evidence, if there is any” would be presented in court. Hochman did not answer a question about whether Reiner admitted to the crimes, saying that was the type of evidence that would be presented in court.
Hochman stressed that “accusations are not evidence” and that his office would present evidence to jurors in court. He asked people to rely on reliable sources and not hearsay on the matter.
He said that, as in all cases, his office would take “the thoughts and wishes of the family” into consideration.
Prosecutors will file charges Tuesday afternoon. Reiner is undergoing a medical examination – a normal procedure, officials say – and will be taken to court for arraignment, where he will enter a plea. Reiner is currently being held without bail.
