Hollywood director and actor Rob Reiner's son Nick Reiner is expected to be indicted on first-degree murder charges for allegedly killing his parents, and if found guilty could face the death penalty.
Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles County district attorney, said at a news conference on the 16th (local time), "Nick Reiner is expected to be charged with two counts of first-degree murder for killing his parents Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner."
According to prosecutors, Nick Reiner is accused of committing the crime using a weapon, which qualifies as "special circumstances." If convicted of that charge, it is a major felony that could result in life without parole or the death penalty.
However, Hochman said, "At this time, no final decision has been made on whether the death penalty will be sought," and added, "The views of the bereaved family will also be taken into consideration."
Nick Reiner has not yet appeared in court and will go through an arraignment as soon as he is medically deemed fit to stand trial. He is currently being held without bail at the Los Angeles Men's Central Jail.
Earlier, Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles home on the afternoon of the 14th. The two were reportedly found by their daughter Romy Reiner. The Los Angeles Fire Department, having received the report, responded to the scene at about 3:30 p.m.
Nick Reiner was arrested at about 9 p.m. the same day, roughly five hours after his parents' bodies were discovered.
Multiple sources said that the night before the incident there was a very heated argument between Rob Reiner and Nick Reiner at a party hosted by talk show host Conan O'Brien. A witness said, "Nick was so agitated he made people around him uneasy, repeatedly asking whether he was famous and displaying other odd behavior."
Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner married in 1989 and have three children. Rob Reiner is a Hollywood great who directed films such as Misery, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and This Is Spinal Tap, and he was also beloved as an actor in the sitcom All in the Family.
The incident is a shocking tragedy surrounding a Hollywood dynasty and has caused a major stir in the United States.
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