Nick Reiner made an appearance in court ahead of his trial for allegedly murdering his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner.
Nick, 33, appeared emotionless at a pretrial conference on Wednesday, October 21, where he had individual shackles on both wrists and wore a brown jail uniform with a long-sleeve white shirt underneath.
Judge Sam Ohta ruled that the defense has between December 14 and 18 to file any necessary briefings to show how unsealing the transcripts from the grand jury would harm Nick’s right to a fair trial. The next hearing is scheduled for January 13.
Rob and Michele were found dead in their Los Angeles home at ages 78 and 70, respectively, in December 2025. Nick has since been arrested and charged with their murders. (The pair were also parents to Jake, 35, and Romy, 28. Rob was also a father to Tracy, 62, whom he adopted while married to Penny Marshall.)
Nick, who has struggled with mental health and addiction issues, pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder in February. In September, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced that his office will not seek the death penalty against Nick.
“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,” Hochman said before a pretrial hearing. “That means that the maximum sentence that Mr. Reiner will be looking at is life without the possibility of parole.”
“We did speak with Nick Reiner’s siblings, and they made their views very clear,” Hochman continued, referring to Jake and Romy. “We took their views into consideration in ultimately deciding not to seek the death penalty.”
That same month, Michele’s sister Martine Singer broke her silence on the photographer’s death.
“Our lives are changed forever,” Singer told Extra. “I suppose you heal from a wound, but the scar is there. It’s a really hard thing to describe because it doesn’t — it never goes away.”
Singer recalled Michele and Rob being “absolutely incredible together” during their 36-year marriage, adding, “They met and [it] didn’t take long before they were, kind of, together forever.”
“Everybody in the family is healing in his or her own way. I’ll never be my sister,” Singer said. “I can never be what it is that’s missing in their lives, but I consider them my kids. There’s no daylight between us.”
Nick has repeatedly asked the court to grant him access to his share of a $1.5 million trust fund set up by his late parents to benefit their children. A probate hearing on Friday, October 23, at the Los Angeles County Superior Court will determine the status of the fund.
