The son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner made his first appearance in court Wednesday, charged with stabbing his parents to death in their Los Angeles home.
In a very brief hearing thronged by media, Nick Reiner did not enter a plea to two counts of first-degree murder over a crime that has shocked the entertainment world.
The 32-year-old, who has a troubled history of addiction, is next expected to appear in court on January 7 for a formal arraignment.
Lawyer Alan Jackson told reporters the case needed to be treated with “restraint and with dignity.”
“This is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family,” he said.
“There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case. These need to be thoroughly but very carefully dealt with and examined and looked at and analyzed.” Jackson has so far refused to say who hired him. If convicted, Reiner could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty, although California does not routinely carry out capital punishment.
Reiner was arrested on Sunday after the bodies of his 78-year-old filmmaker father and mother, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were discovered at their home in the upmarket Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Agencies)
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