Reiner murder, son Nick expected in court today

Nick Reiner, suspected of killing his father, the American director Rob Reiner, and his mother, the photographer Michele Singer, could today be deemed medically fit to appear before a judge to be formally charged withhomocide. According to his lawyer, Alan Jackson, Nick Reiner, the couple’s youngest son, 32 and struggling with addiction since adolescence, was unable to appear in court yesterday as originally scheduled. If his health condition does not improve, the court hearing will be postponed. The judicial authorities “will proceed day by day”, added the lawyer.

NBC, citing court documents, reported that the procedural hearing will indeed be held today. In particular, it will serve to determine whether the accused will plead guilty or innocent. Nick Reiner is on trial for the murder of his parents, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced. He is accused of first degree murder with the aggravating circumstances ofmultiple murders. Risk thelife sentencewithout the possibility of parole or thedeath penalty.

Capital punishment decision and legal context

Hochman said his office has not yet decided whether to askcapital punishmentadding that it will take into account the will of thefamilies of the victims. “The criminal proceedings in these cases involving family members are among the most difficult and harrowing that this office faces, due to the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes,” he added.

Shortly after taking office in 2019, California’s Democratic governor,Gavin Newsomhas established amoratorium on capital executionsbut the death penalty has not been formally abolished.

The discovery of the bodies and the arrest

Rob Reiner, director of films such as “When Harry Met Sally”, was found dead on Sunday afternoon together with his wife, the photographerMichele Singerin their home inBrentwoodan exclusive neighborhood of the Californian metropolis. Their son was arrested without incident Sunday evening near the University of Southern California and taken into custody without bail.

According to American media,Rob Reiner78, and his wife, 68, werestabbed several times. The day before, Nick Reiner had crashed a party he and his parents were invited to, according to NBC.

Nick Reiner “made other guests uncomfortable” with his erratic behavior. “Reiner’s parents were shocked and embarrassed by their son’s behavior and were concerned for his well-being,” a witness said. According to the New York Times, “Rob and Nick Reiner had an affair”heated discussion“. Michelle Obamashe told ABC on Monday night that she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, would spend the evening of the day of their deaths with the Reiners, who they had known for “many years.” Rob and Michelle Reiner were a “dignified and courageous” couple, the former First Lady added.

The Nick Reiner Story: Addiction and Rehabilitation

Nick, one of the couple’s three children (Rob Reiner had another adopted daughter from a previous marriage), lived with his parents on and off. He spoke openly about his experience with treatment fordrug addiction. In a podcast, he said he followed18 rehabilitation programsfrom drugs during adolescence.

Nick Reiner also shared anecdotes about his erratic behavior. Once, he said in a 2018 podcast, after going days without sleep under the influence ofcocainehe began “doing everything he could get his hands on” at his parents’ house. At times he also found himself homeless or living in shelters.

Drawing on his own experience, he co-wrote a film directed by his father, “Being Charlie” (2015), which chronicles the difficult recovery of a drug-ravaged celebrity son.