Nick Reiner has been indicted on charges of murdering his parents, filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, moving the high-profile case closer to trial.
The 32-year-old was indicted by a grand jury on July 20, with the indictment unsealed on Wednesday. He has pleaded not guilty to the revised charges.
Reiner has been held without bail since his parents were found dead at their Brentwood home in December. He was initially charged with two counts of murder and a special circumstance allegation involving multiple murders.
The new indictment adds another special circumstance allegation of “lying in wait.” If convicted, the special circumstances could make Reiner eligible for life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
By obtaining a grand jury indictment, prosecutors can bypass a preliminary hearing and move the case directly towards trial.
No trial date has yet been set. Reiner is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial hearing on September 15.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman described the indictment as an important step towards bringing the case before a jury.
“This was a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing,” Hochman said, adding that prosecutors hoped the indictment would bring the case closer to trial and justice.
Reiner is currently represented by a public defender. His legal team previously sought access to $1.5 million from a trust account to enable him to rehire private defence attorney Alan Jackson, who had briefly represented him earlier in the case.