In a bustling Los Angeles courtroom, Nick Reiner’s plea was entered by his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene. Reiner stood behind a glass partition within the secure custody area as proceedings unfolded.

Nick, the third of four children of Rob Reiner, has been detained without bail since he was apprehended shortly after the tragic deaths of his father, the famous actor-director, and his mother, Michele Singer Reiner. The couple was discovered dead on December 14 in their luxurious Brentwood residence in Los Angeles.

Reiner made his court appearance with a clean-shaven head, dressed in brown jail attire. He engaged in a brief discussion with his attorney before the session commenced and only spoke to affirmatively respond to a judge’s query. Unlike his initial court appearance in December, he did not wear a suicide prevention smock.

The judge instructed Reiner to return on April 29 for a preliminary hearing scheduling, during which prosecutors will present evidence to determine if the case should proceed to trial.

Outside the courtroom, District Attorney Nathan Hochman mentioned that a decision has not yet been made regarding the pursuit of the death penalty for Reiner.

At this juncture, entering a not guilty plea is standard practice for defendants, irrespective of their future legal strategies.

Reiner’s previous attorney, the high-profile private lawyer Alan Jackson, had to quit the case at the hearing in January because of what he called circumstances beyond his and his client’s control.

He said legal ethics would not allow him to say why, but in parting he adamantly declared that “pursuant to the laws of California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder.”

Jackson did not elaborate but said the conclusion came after weeks of intensive investigation before his team had to hand the case off. He said he wanted to push back against false reporting on the case.

It’s not clear who hired Jackson to represent Reiner or who was paying the bill. Generally, defendants use public defenders when they can’t afford a private attorney.

Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian said Monday that his office is still awaiting a full autopsy report in the case, but all other evidence has been turned over to the defence.

Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, died from “multiple sharp force injuries,” the LA County Medical Examiner said in initial findings.

Authorities said they were killed hours before the bodies were discovered. A court order has prevented the release of more details and authorities have said nothing about possible motives.

Rob Reiner was a prolific director whose work included some of the most memorable and endlessly watchable movies of the 1980s and ’90s.

His credits included This is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, A Few Good Men, and When Harry Met Sally… , during which production he met photographer Michele Singer and married her soon after.

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