The son of late Hollywood director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner pleaded not guilty Monday to the murder of his parents.
Nick Reiner, 32, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the Dec. 14 stabbing deaths. Judge Teresa McGonicle entered the two pleas into the record following Reiner’s agreement, according to NBC News.
The plea is a legal formality that allows the defense to review evidence before potentially modifying the plea later, according to The New York Times.
The judge set an April 29 hearing to schedule a preliminary trial date. Prosecutors noted that the trial could be delayed as lawyers need to sift through evidence, including a report from the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner, according to The New York Times.
Until then, Reiner will remain in jail with no bail.
The proceedings have faced previous delays. Reiner was scheduled to enter a plea last month, but his attorney, Alan Jackson, withdrew during the hearing. Reiner then agreed to delay his arraignment until a public defender was assigned.
After withdrawing, Jackson told reporters he stepped down due to “circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control.”
“Pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder,” he added. “We wish him the very best moving forward,” according to ABC News.
A spokesperson for the Reiner family said “they have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings.”
Investigators and defense attorneys are currently compiling Reiner’s psychiatric and substance abuse history. Friends told investigators Reiner’s mental health had declined prior to his parents’ deaths, according to ABC News.
Rob and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home on Dec. 14. The night before the bodies were found, Nick Reiner, who had been living on the property, reportedly argued with his father at a holiday party and exhibited unusual behavior, as previously reported by the Deseret News.
In a statement, the Reiners’ other children, Jake and Romy Reiner, wrote, “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing.”
“The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends,” they said.