Prosecutors in Los Angeles County do not intend to seek the death penalty against Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old accused of murdering his parents, director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner, according to TMZ.
Nick Reiner was arrested on December 14 after his parents were found dead at their home. He has remained in custody in the nine months since, and the case took a new turn on September 15 when TMZ reported prosecutors' decision on sentencing.
Why prosecutors ruled out execution
TMZ reported that Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman decided to exclude the death penalty as an option. One of the reasons cited was that Rob and Michele Reiner themselves had been opposed to the execution of convicted criminals.
A second factor in the decision was a 2019 order issued by California Governor Gavin Newsom, which suspended the death penalty for 737 scheduled executions across the state. At the time, Newsom said capital punishment had been applied unevenly and unjustly to people of color, people with mental disabilities, and people who could not afford expensive legal representation.
Who Rob Reiner is
Rob Reiner is an American director and actor best known for films including "This Is Spinal Tap," "Stand by Me," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally" and "A Few Good Men." He also co-founded the production company Castle Rock Entertainment.
Charges still carry life without parole
Even without the possibility of a death sentence, Nick Reiner continues to be prosecuted for first-degree murder with special circumstances. That charge still carries the possibility of life imprisonment without the chance of parole.
Case developments since the arrest
The prosecution's decision follows other recent developments in the case. On August 13, Nick Reiner was hit with a new, more serious indictment over his parents' deaths.
On August 28, the Reiners' other son broke his silence about the killings, saying their parents had always helped his brother and that he did not know why Nick Reiner had killed them.
