Nick Reiner, the son of film director Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, is due to appear in court on Wednesday to be arraigned on two counts of first-degree murder over the deaths of his parents.
The 32-year-old has been in custody since last month, after Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 70, were found dead at their home in the Los Angeles area. Prosecutors allege that Nick Reiner fatally stabbed the couple.
Wednesday’s hearing will be his first court appearance in three weeks.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner ruled the deaths as homicide, caused by “multiple sharp force injuries”. Authorities said the couple died within minutes of being attacked.
Nick Reiner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, with a special circumstance of multiple murders, as well as a special allegation involving the use of a dangerous weapon. He is being held without bail.
Court records and media reports indicate that Reiner has previously struggled with addiction and mental illness. He collaborated with his father on the 2015 film Being Charlie, which was reported to have drawn loosely on his own experiences.
According to the Los Angeles Times, he had been prescribed medication commonly used to treat schizophrenia for an unspecified period before the killings.
Rob Reiner was one of Hollywood’s most prominent directors and actors, best known for films including This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride. Michele Singer Reiner was a photographer and producer whose work included a portrait of Donald Trump that appeared on the cover of The Art of the Deal. The couple were also noted for their support of liberal political causes.
The deaths sent shockwaves through Hollywood and prompted tributes from friends and public figures, including Larry David, Billy Crystal, Albert Brooks, Martin Short, and Barack and Michelle Obama.
In a joint statement, friends described the couple as “strong and determined”, saying they had devoted much of their lives to the betterment of others and would be “missed forever”.
Nick Reiner’s lawyer, Alan Jackson, has urged the public not to rush to judgement, citing “very complex and serious issues” surrounding what he described as a “devastating tragedy”.
He has been held in custody for several weeks and was recently taken off suicide watch, according to People magazine. He remains in solitary confinement under frequent monitoring, and medical professionals have reportedly found that he has a “mental disability”.
If convicted, Nick Reiner could face the death penalty or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
