Prosecutors don’t plan to seek the death penalty against Nick Reiner, who is accused of murdering his parents, Rob and Michele Singer Reiner.
“After a careful and thorough review of all these factors, the district attorney’s office will not be seeking the death penalty in this case,” Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman told NBC News and reporters on Tuesday, September 15, before a pretrial hearing. “That means that the maximum sentence that Mr. Reiner will be looking at is life without the possibility of parole.”
While it’s unclear what ultimately led to the decision, both Rob and Michele were both well-known death penalty abolitionists.
“We did speak with Nick Reiner’s siblings, and they made their views very clear,” Hochman, 62, shared, referencing Jake and Romy Reiner. “We took their views into consideration in ultimately deciding not to seek the death penalty.”
According to an indictment obtained by Us on August 12, Nick, 32, is accused of the first-degree murders of his parents at their Los Angeles home on December 14, 2025. Rob was 78, and Michele was 70.
“This was a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing,” Hochman previously said in a statement. “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.”
Nick, who has struggled with addiction and mental health issues over the years, previously 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.
Since Rob and Michele’s deaths, Jake, 35, and Romy, 28, have tried to honor their parents’ legacy while also grieving in private.
“Nothing can prepare you for what it feels like to lose both parents instantly at the same time,” Jake, 35, wrote in an April essay shared to his Substack. “It’s too devastating to comprehend. I still wake up every morning having to convince myself that, no, it’s not a dream. This truly is my living nightmare.”
During the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys on September 5, Rob was honored with a posthumous nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series thanks to his turn as Albert Schnur in season 4 of FX’s The Bear.
The late star won, with presenter Wendi McLendon-Covey accepting the award on his behalf as the audience rose to give him a standing ovation.
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