For the third time since his parents’ bodies were found in their Los Angeles home, and since he was considered the main suspect in their murder, Nick Reiner, has appeared in court. And this time he was able to be seen and, furthermore, he has spoken out: he has declared himself. The man, 32 years old, has appeared with his current lawyer, Kimberly Greene, who has asked that he be released from jail where he is awaiting trial after paying bail. The judge, Theresa McGonigle, has denied him that privilege.
The son of the filmmaker, 78, and the photographer, 68, has decided to forego a quick trial. Therefore, his next court date will take place at the end of April, on the 29th; There we will know when his first formal statement will take place. Prosecutors read the charges during the hearing: there are two, both of first-degree murder under special circumstances, including the use of a knife. Furthermore, during their appearance, prosecutors have also explained that they are still waiting for the final result of the autopsies of R (Los Angeles, California) on December 14.
Reiner remains in police custody since then; and from the beginning the prosecutor linked him to the murders. Nick went to court last December 17, very briefly, to set another hearing for January 7; where he did not plead guilty or innocent. In neither of them was he photographed, but only portrayed in sketches. This time yes, and it is the first time he has been seen publicly since the death of his parents. His other two brothers, Jake and Romy (who was the one who discovered the bodies) have been seen in public on the streets of Los Angeles, but they have not given statements.
It was after that hearing on January 7 when Alan Jackson, who was Nick Reiner’s lawyer (and was Harvey Weinstein’s or Kevin Spacey’s), decided to withdraw from the case due to “circumstances beyond the case” and ensuring that “Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder.” Kimberly Greene, public defender, took the reins. An easy task awaits him, due to the enormous media impact that the Reiners’ murder has had and the penalty that Nick Reiner may face, which could be life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, or even the death penalty. The Los Angeles County prosecutor, Nathan Hochman, explained this Monday that they are reviewing the case thoroughly, also at the request of the family itself, and that they will later make public what their request for conviction will be.
The murder of , and especially for Los Angeles society, where they were especially loved for their warmth and closeness. Saturday, December 13 and his wife, a photographer and videographer, attended, along with Nick, a Christmas party hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, where father and son argued heatedly. Then they left. Early Sunday afternoon, and after hours without finding them, their daughter Romy went to their Brentwood home—which they shared with Nick—and discovered the bodies. The police and investigation determined that they had been killed with a knife. There were no signs of violence on doors and windows. Later, it was learned that that night Nick had checked into a hotel in Santa Monica, near Brentwood, where he had spent a few hours very upset and leaving a trail of blood. Finally, he was arrested about five hours after the bodies appeared in the Exposition Park area, about 30 kilometers from the family home.
Nick Reiner has a long history of mental health and addiction problems, dating back to adolescence. At just 15 years old he entered a rehabilitation program; In fact, he passed through it up to 17 times. At a very young age he left home and lived on the streets in New Jersey or Texas. Over time, he managed to recover and wrote a book about his problems, which his father transformed into a semi-autobiographical film called Being Charlie in 2015. When he was arrested, the authorities imposed a bail of four million dollars (3.4 million euros), but hours later they decided to withdraw it. For weeks he was in a special anti-suicide surveillance program and separated from the rest of the prisoners.
