Nick Liner, the son who killed Hollywood film director Rob Reiner, known for the movies "When Harry Met Sally" and "Misery," and his wife, producer Michele Singer Reiner, appeared in court.
According to the Associated Press and others on the 17th (local time), Nick was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and appeared at a Los Angeles (LA) court that morning. He did not enter a plea.
At the request of the defense, the arraignment was postponed to Jan. 7 next year, and Nick agreed to the date, answering only, "Yes, Your Honor."
An arraignment is a procedure under U.S. law in which the defendant is informed of the charges and enters a plea of guilty or not guilty.
After the hearing, attorney Alan Jackson, surrounded by reporters, called the case "a horrific tragedy for the Liner family," while adding, "I hope the process proceeds without hasty judgments or conclusions."
Nathan Hochman, the LA County district attorney, said at a news conference the day before, "Losing them (the Reiner couple) is more than a tragedy, and we will do everything we can to bring the killer to justice."
Whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Nick has not been decided, but if convicted, he could face life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Earlier, on the 14th, Nick fled after fatally stabbing his parents at their home in Brentwood, an upscale LA neighborhood, and was arrested that afternoon at a park near the University of Southern California (USC), about 22.5 kilometers from the crime scene.
The day before, he attended a Christmas party at the home of well-known comedian Conan O'Brien with his parents, and they reportedly had a serious argument.
Nick, who was addicted to drugs including heroin, had been in and out of rehab since age 15, and said in a media interview that he "did not build much of a bond with my father during my formative years."