Nick Reiner has been indicted on charges of murdering his parents, Rob and Michele Singer Reiner, with authorities adding the allegation that he was lying in wait before attacking them, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday.
Reiner pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders in the deaths of his parents in February.
He was arrested on Dec. 15 after his 78-year-old father and 70-year-old mother were found dead with stab wounds in their home in the upscale Brentwood section of Los Angeles on Dec. 14, 2025.
The grand jury indictment adds a new special circumstance of “lying in wait.” He also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife.
Reiner pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder with the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder by means of lying in wait after the indictment was unsealed, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said.
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“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.
“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,” Hochman added.
The grand jury indictment is a major step toward trial and allows prosecutors to skip California’s preliminary hearing process, where evidence is publicly aired.
Reiner’s next court appearance will be held on Sept. 15.
If convicted as charged, Reiner faces death or life in state prison without the possibility of parole. A decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made at a later date, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office added.
In February, Hochman spoke to reporters outside the courthouse following a hearing for Reiner and said, “This case is a death penalty-eligible case. Along those lines, we take the process in which we determine whether or not the death penalty should be sought extremely seriously and it goes through a very rigorous process.”
“We have invited defence counsel to present to us — both in writing and orally — in a meeting, any arguments that they would like to make in consideration for our going forward or not going forward with the death penalty,” Hochman added.
Reiner was set to enter a plea in January at a hearing in Los Angeles before his defence attorney, Alan Jackson, announced that he was withdrawing from the case. Reiner is now represented by public defender Kimberly Greene.
“This morning I had to withdraw as Nick Reiner’s counsel. Circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control, have dictated that, sadly, it’s made it impossible for us to continue our representation,” Jackson told reporters outside the courthouse in January.
“Be very, very clear about this — my team and I remain deeply, deeply committed to Nick Reiner and to his best interests,” Jackson said. “In fact, we know, we’re not just convinced, we know that the legal process will reveal the true facts of the circumstances surrounding this case.”
“What we’ve learned — and you can take this to the bank — is that pursuant to the law in this state, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that,” Jackson added.
Following the news, Reiner’s family told the New York Times in a statement that they “have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings.”
—With files from The Associated Press
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