Los Angeles court records not guilty pleas for Nick Reiner in parents’ deaths

Los Angeles County Superior Court entered not guilty pleas for Nicholas "Nick" Reiner on Feb. 23, 2026, after he was charged with the slayings of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, who were found stabbed in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14, 2025. The arraignment took only minutes, his public defender entered the pleas on his behalf, and he remains in custody with no bail.

Prosecutors have charged the 32-year-old with two counts of first-degree murder and have alleged special circumstances of multiple murders; they also allege a dangerous and deadly weapon was used. If convicted on the special-circumstance counts, Reiner could face life in prison without parole or, depending on the district attorney’s ultimate decision, exposure to the death penalty. The Los Angeles County medical examiner reported the couple died from "multiple sharp force injuries."

At the brief hearing in downtown Los Angeles, Reiner, in jail-issued clothing, said only that he would waive a speedy preliminary hearing. His not guilty pleas were entered by Los Angeles County public defender Kimberly Greene and accepted by the court. The proceeding lasted less than five minutes, and the next court date was set for April 29, 2026, although the district attorney warned that hearing will likely be delayed by the volume of discovery, a pending coroner's report, and potential requests for additional expert testimony. "Because of the volume of the discovery that will have to be gone through by defense counsel, by the fact that we're still waiting for the coroner's report, and by the fact that if defense counsel wants to seek any additional expert testimony, it will certainly take additional time," District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.

Legal representation for Reiner shifted in the weeks after the arrests. His prior attorney, Alan Jackson, withdrew from the case during an earlier court appearance, saying the move was prompted by "circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick's control." After his withdrawal, Jackson told reporters, "Pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder." Jackson has declined to disclose further details citing legal and ethical constraints.

Prosecutors allege Reiner fatally stabbed his parents inside a bedroom before fleeing, and he was taken into custody hours after the bodies were discovered. Reports say the night before the killings he and his father attended a holiday party and engaged in an argument; accounts differ as to the severity of that exchange. Reiner had been living on his parents' property, according to reports.

The case has sent shock waves through Hollywood and beyond. Rob Reiner is a high-profile director known for This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, and Stand By Me, and the family has described its grief in stark terms. Their children said they were experiencing "unimaginable pain" after the "horrific and devastating loss." The prosecution's decision on whether to seek the death penalty remains pending as investigators and the coroner complete their work.

Beyond the immediate criminal proceedings, the case highlights persistent tensions in how celebrity family tragedies are handled in public view: questions about privacy, mental health, and how the criminal justice system balances swift action with exhaustive discovery. As discovery unfolds and experts are consulted, the legal fight is likely to shift from brief courtroom formalities to a prolonged, high-stakes prosecution that will test prosecutors, defense counsel, and public tolerance for the heightened scrutiny that follows any case involving a prominent name.