Rob Reiner and Wife Michele’s Autopsies Still Not Complete as Son Nick Pleads Not Guilty to Murders

Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner’s respective autopsies are still not complete more than two months after their deaths. However, prosecutors are forging ahead with murder charges against their son, Nick Reiner.

Nick, 32, appeared in court in Los Angeles on Monday, February 23, where he pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder related to the deaths of his father, 78 and mother, 70. At the arraignment, prosecutors said they are awaiting the autopsies of the slain couple for an official cause of death, which may play a key role in Nick’s legal case, per People. Still, details have emerged from the investigation that prosecutors believe paint a clear picture of both what happened and Nick’s role.

As The National Enquirer previously reported, prosecutors allege both victims died from multiple stab wounds inside their Brentwood home on December 14. They believe Nick used a knife to kill his parents before fleeing the scene and being arrested later that night. He has remained in police custody without bail ever since.

He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance allegation of multiple murders, per NBC. He is also accused of using a deadly weapon, identified in court documents as a knife. If proven, those enhancements could result in a harsher sentence.

There are many reasons that an autopsy can take so long, particularly in a criminal investigation. According to a CBS News report from 2016, typically the process of an autopsy is done very quickly, but lab reports that have to be sent away are what eat up time. Specifically, a toxicology report to determine what, if any, drugs were in the victim’s system at the time of death can take a while to produce. Toxicology reports are a standard part of any autopsy, regardless of the circumstances of the victim’s death.

On Wednesday, January 7, Nick’s former attorney, Alan Jackson, reiterated his belief in Nick’s innocence, noting: “What we’ve learned and you can take this to the bank, is that pursuant to the laws of this state, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that. We wish him the very very best moving forward.”