According to a grand jury indictment delivered on July 20, it has been alleged that Nick Reiner—who is accused of killing his parents, Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner—was lying in wait before committing the crime. On August 12, Reiner pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance.
The new indictment alleging Reiner was lying in wait before committing the murders amplifies the existing murder charges, adding the special circumstance. It means that the accused may now be eligible for the death penalty, though it has temporarily been suspended in California. So far, prosecutors have not indicated whether they will pursue it.
Defined as the killing of one’s parent, parricide is considered the least common type of homicide, according to a 2019 study. Its rarity may help explain why such cases often attract intense public attention.
Click through the following gallery to learn about shocking cases in which parents were reportedly killed by their own children.