Nick Reiner entered a not guilty plea in court on February 23, 2026, for the stabbing deaths of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner. The autopsies of the iconic director and his wife remain incomplete more than two months after the December 2025 killings in their Brentwood home. Siblings Romy and Jake are stepping back from funding his defense.
Oh, Hollywood, what a tragic twist in the Reiner family saga. More than two months after director Rob Reiner, 78, and photographer Michele Reiner, 70, were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood, California mansion on December 14, 2025, their autopsies are still incomplete, prosecutors revealed at son Nick Reiner's arraignment. The 32-year-old screenwriter, facing two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders, pleaded not guilty in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Monday, February 23, 2026.
Nick appeared gaunt and disheveled, shackled in a brown jumpsuit with a shaven head and sunken eyes, according to reports. He waived his right to a speedy trial, smiled briefly at his lawyer, and largely stayed silent beyond the plea. Held without bail in solitary confinement at Twin Towers Correctional Facility, Nick faces life without parole or the death penalty if convicted. His next appearance is set for April 29, 2026.
Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene represented him after high-profile attorney Alan Jackson withdrew in January due to an undisclosed disagreement. Sources connected to siblings Romy, 28, and Jake, 34, tell TMZ, "Nick's defense is Nick's defense. They're not involved," confirming no plans to fund a private lawyer after initially hiring Jackson post-murders.
The LA County Medical Examiner ruled the deaths homicides from multiple sharp force injuries. Prosecutors allege the stabbings followed an argument at a holiday party hosted by neighbor Conan O’Brien the night before, where Nick was reportedly rude to guests and irate with his father. Their daughter discovered the bodies the next afternoon.
Nick has a history of drug addiction and was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in 2020. Insiders say doctors changed his meds about a month prior due to weight gain complaints, leading to erratic behavior that reportedly scared his parents, with whom he lived. Close friend Barry Markowitz told Page Six that weeks before, Nick seemed "on the upswing," helping around the house like taking out garbage and washing dishes.
L.A. County DA Nathan Hochman stated post-arraignment that the death penalty remains on the table, though Rob Reiner was vehemently opposed to it. Legal experts speculate a not guilty by reason of insanity plea could emerge, given Nick's documented mental health issues—potentially landing him in a psychiatric facility over prison. Siblings Romy and Jake have stayed out of the spotlight while mourning. So, with the family divide deepening and mysteries like those unfinished autopsies lingering, will justice bring closure or more heartbreak? 🔥