(LOS ANGELES) — Nick Reiner, who is accused of killing his parents, renowned Hollywood director Rob Reiner and wife Michele Singer Reiner, made a brief first appearance in court on Wednesday.
Nick Reiner, 32, appeared quiet and calm, and sat behind the glass and behind his attorney, Alan Jackson — who helped defend Karen Read in Massachusetts.
He waived the right to a speedy arraignment. The arraignment is set for Jan. 7.
Nick Reiner was charged Tuesday with two counts of first-degree murder, with the special circumstance of multiple murders, for allegedly stabbing his parents to death early on Sunday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty, Hochman said.
“No decision at this point has been made with respect to the death penalty,” Hochman said.
“Our hearts go out to the entire Reiner family,” Jackson said after court on Wednesday. “There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case.”
“We ask that during this process, you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed … not with jumping to conclusions, but with restraint and with dignity and with the respect that this system and this process deserves and that the family deserves,” Jackson said.
New videos obtained by ABC News appear to show the moments leading up to Nick Reiner’s arrest on Sunday night.
One of the videos appears to show Nick Reiner moments before his arrest near the University of Southern California. In the video, he’s wearing jeans, a striped jacket and a baseball cap. He’s seen with a red backpack slung over one shoulder as he enters a gas station and purchases a drink.
Another video shows him outside walking near a crosswalk when several police vehicles with flashing lights surround him. He can be seen in the video raising his hands.
The Reiners’ daughter found her parents’ bodies in their Brentwood home on Sunday, sources told ABC News.
A neighbor told ABC News that actors Billy Crystal and Larry David were seen at the house after police arrived on Sunday, and the neighbor said, “Billy looked like he was about to cry.”
Nick Reiner — who was living on his parents’ property, according to a former family security guard — had been open about battling drug addiction since he was a teenager. In 2016, Nick Reiner worked with his dad on the movie “Being Charlie,” which was based largely on his struggle with drug addiction.
Sources told ABC News that Nick Reiner got into an argument with his father at a holiday party on Saturday night and was seen acting strangely.
“Prosecuting cases involving family violence are some of the most challenging and heart-wrenching we face because of the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes,” Hochman said in a statement on Tuesday.
ABC News’ Kerem Inal contributed to this report.
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