Nick Reiner appeared tense during his latest court hearing as he faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted of allegedly killing his famous parents.
Reiner, 33, rocked back and forth in his seat and appeared to be antsy as he sat in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday, according to Page Six.
The accused murderer appeared in handcuffs, although the restraints were not linked together, according to the outlet, which was present in the courtroom. He also seemed more alert than during previous appearances, the outlet reported.
The 33-year-old was in court while awaiting a ruling on whether the judge will keep the grand jury indictment transcript sealed or order it released publicly, ABC 7 reported.
Reiner also unveiled a changed appearance, with shorter hair and noticeable sideburns, Page Six reported.
Reiner is accused of killing his parents, film director Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, at their Brentwood home on December 14. According to their death certificates, both died within minutes of being attacked.
He was arrested within hours of the deaths and formally charged two days later.
At least two female fans were seated in the courtroom gallery during Wednesday’s hearing, Page Six noted. No members of Reiner’s family were present.
Nick Reiner (pictured in February) appeared tense during his latest court appearance. He rocked back and forth and seemed more restless than usual, Page Six reported
Reiner is accused of killing his parents, film director Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, at their Brentwood home on December 14
The hearing followed an earlier proceeding on October 7, and the judge extended the matter again until January 13 next year.
According to Page Six, the judge said Reiner had been “indicted unbeknownst to his counsel” and determined that his attorneys needed additional time. The judge indicated that protecting Reiner’s legal rights was more important at this stage than granting immediate public access to the transcripts.
Reiner’s older siblings, Jake Reiner, 35, and Romy Reiner, 28, have asked that the grand jury transcripts remain sealed, the outlet reported.
Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder and has pleaded not guilty.
His trial is expected to begin in 2027.
Prosecutors have said they will not pursue the death penalty. Reiner, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia before his parents’ deaths, faces the possibility of life in prison without parole.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has said prosecutors are prepared to take the case to trial.
“At any point in which the defense is ready to proceed, the people are ready to proceed,” he said, according to ABC 7.
Reiner appeared in court as the judge considers whether to unseal the grand jury transcript. His siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner, have asked that it remain sealed
Reiner has also been fighting to access a trust worth approximately $1.6 million to help cover his legal expenses. He maintains that the money legally belongs to him as he prepares to stand trial in connection with the killings.
The trustee overseeing the account has cited California’s Slayer Statute as one reason the funds have been withheld. The law can bar someone who unlawfully kills another person from financially benefiting from that death.
But in court documents obtained by Our News Outlet in September, lawyers for Reiner claim the statute does not apply in this particular case and that much of the funds in the trust were actually left to him by his grandfather, Hollywood legend Carl Reiner, and not his parents.
‘The Slayer Statute prevents a killer from receiving a benefit created by the killing. It takes away what a person receives because someone died; it does not divest a person of his pre-existing property,’ the documents explain.
It later adds: ‘A substantial portion of the funds currently held in Nick’s Trust did not even come from Nick’s parents – it was money that Nick’s grandfather, Carl Reiner, left to Nick in his estate plan, with similar distributions to his other grandchildren.
‘This includes at least $325,017.49, which was transferred into the Trust account at JPMorgan Chase Bank on December 24, 2024. The Successor Trustee’s counsel has informed Petitioner that, in addition to that sum, other distributions to Nick from his grandfather may have similarly been deposited into accounts held by this Trust.’
In the filings, Nick’s lawyers also claimed that their client cannot even use his fortune to buy basic items from the commissary.
Prosecutors said they will not seek the death penalty. Reiner faces life in prison without parole
‘In the meantime, Nick still has not been able to access even $5 from his trust to buy basic subsistence items from the jail commissary,’ his attorneys wrote.
The complaint comes amid a bitter family divide over the fortune Rob and Michele established for their son when he was an infant.
Sources previously told Our News Outlet that Nick’s siblings Jake and Romy are united in refusing to help him turn his inheritance into a war chest to fight charges that he brutally murdered their parents.
