Nick Reiner will not face death penalty if convicted of killing parents, LA district attorney says

Nick Reiner will not face the death penalty if convicted of the killings of his parents Rob and Michele Singer Reiner, the Los Angeles county district attorney’s office announced.Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles DA, said on Tuesday that his office will not pursue the death penalty in the case. He told reporters gathered outside a Los Angeles courthouse ahead of a pre-trial hearing that the prosecutors had considered the wishes of Reiner family members and mitigating factors in making their decision.While the death penalty is legal in California, Gavin Newsom put a moratorium on the practice in 2019, and the last execution took place in 2006.Reiner is accused of fatally stabbing his parents in their Los Angeles home in December 2025. The deaths of Rob, 78, a celebrated director and actor, and Michele, 70, sent shockwaves through Hollywood.The 33-year-old has pleaded not guilty to two charges of first degree murder. The charges include a special circumstance of multiple murders, and a special allegation for the use of a dangerous weapon. A grand jury indicted Reiner last month on two counts of first degree murder with an additional special circumstance of lying in wait.The maximum penalty he will face, prosecutors said, is life in prison without parole.Reiner had a history of addiction and mental health challenges, family members have said, and collaborated with his father on the film Being Charlie, which was reportedly inspired by his experiences. Jake Reiner, the eldest son of Rob and Michele, said in a recent interview that his parents “never stopped helping” Nick.Reiner’s former attorney, Alan Jackson, previously said that “pursuant to the laws of California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder”.Reuters and the Associated Press contributed