Nick Reiner pleads not guilty to murdering Rob Reiner and Michelle Reiner
Nick Reiner appeared in court with his public defender, Kimberly Greene, as he entered a not guilty plea to murder charges in the deaths of his parents.
Nick Reiner is asking a Los Angeles court to allow him access to a trust fund set up by his parents, Rob Reiner and Michelle Reiner, as he faces a criminal trial in their deaths.
The deceased couple’s 32-year-old son, who was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in December, entered the plea on Monday, June 8, saying he never received any of the money he was entitled to when he turned 30, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
The filing states the fund is separate from the “larger Reiner Family Trust” and is intended solely for Reiner’s use “for his personal benefit.” Without funds, Reiner said, he would be unable to pay for legal fees and “basic necessities while incarcerated.”
Nick Reiner has been in prison since Dec. 14, when law enforcement and prosecutors say he fatally stabbed his parents, the wife of the beloved “Princess Bride” director and producer, in their Los Angeles home. He pleaded not guilty in February.
Nick Reiner has over $1.5 million in trust funds
The terms of the fund, which holds an undisclosed amount of at least $1.5 million, require Reiner to distribute half of the money when he turns 30 and the other half when he turns 35, according to the filing.
Additionally, Rob and Michelle Reiner “separately authorized the trustee to make other discretionary distributions to Nick for his support, maintenance, health, and education until paid in full on Nick’s 35th birthday,” the statement said.
Nick Reiner allegedly requested the funds multiple times in recent months, but the filing alleges that the trustee has “made a series of excuses and rationalizations,” including “‘concerns’ about Nick’s so-called ‘trust management’ abilities.”Reiner’s lawyers argue that the distribution date is “required” and that the “trustee’s subjective opinion” is not a valid reason to withhold the funds.
In January, Reiner’s attorney Alan Jackson resigned, citing “circumstances beyond our control.” In his new petition declaration, Jackson wrote that “our firm is ready, willing and able to resume representing Mr. Reiner” if funds become available.
Reiner’s lawyer said: “Nick loved his parents and is devastated by their deaths.” “But the facts of what did or did not happen to them are not at issue in this trust case. Nick’s criminal defense attorney will present those facts in the criminal case. This petition does not request or invite this court to consider those facts. Like anyone accused of a crime, Nick is presumed innocent and is entitled to defend himself with the resources that are legally his.”
“The stakes for Nick couldn’t be higher,” the lawsuit adds, and alleges that Reiner is seeking money from “his own funds, not from his parents’ estate.”
Reiner is charged with two counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstances of multiple murders and a special charge of using a knife as a dangerous and deadly weapon. Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said after the February plea hearing that Reiner’s case was “death penalty eligible,” but his office has not decided whether to seek the death penalty.
Nick Reiner’s next pretrial hearing is scheduled for September.
Rob and Michelle Reiner met on the set of When Harry Met Sally in 1988 and married a year later. The couple welcomed their first son, Jake Reiner, in May 1991. Nick Reiner was born in 1993, and their daughter Romy Reiner was born in 1997. Rob Reiner is also the father of Tracy Reiner, a daughter from his first wife Penny Marshall, whom he adopted during their marriage.
Contributed by: Brendan Morrow, Edward Segarra, Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY
