Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Tuesday that prosecutors will not seek the death penalty against Nick Reiner, who is accused of fatally stabbing his parents. If convicted, Reiner would face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The district attorney's office considered aggravating and mitigating factors, and consulted with the victims' family, prosecutors, and law enforcement in reaching the decision.
Nick Reiner, who turned 33 on Monday, is accused of the December killings of his parents, director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner, at their home. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, with special allegations of multiple murders and murder by lying in wait. A special allegation also states he used a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife.
Sources previously told ABC News that the night before the killings, Reiner, who was living on his parents' property and had a history of addiction, argued with his father and was behaving erratically.
Reiner is currently held without bond. No trial date has been set.
In related proceedings, Reiner's siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner, have expressed a strong desire for grand jury transcripts to remain sealed, citing the potential for additional trauma and harm from the public disclosure of details and evidence of their parents' deaths. Prosecutors have stated to the court that unsealing the transcripts would not prejudice the government's investigation or the defendant's right to a fair trial, but have deferred the decision to the court.
California has inmates on death row, but no executions have occurred in 20 years, and Gov. Gavin Newsom placed a moratorium on executions in 2019.