Nick Reiner, accused of murdering his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, has been refused access to the $1.5 million US trust fund he had requested to finance his legal defense. In a filing from June, Reiner was attempting to claim funds from a trust set up by his parents in 1993.
Court documents obtained by CBC News revealed that the trustees turned down Reiner’s appeal for the funds, invoking a California law section called the “slayer statute,” which bars individuals who have “feloniously and intentionally” killed someone from inheriting money or property.
Rob Reiner, a renowned director and actor, and his wife, Michele, a photographer and producer, were fatally stabbed in their California residence on December 14, 2025. Later that day, their son Nick Reiner was apprehended. The 32-year-old has been charged with murder and has entered a plea of not guilty.
A grand jury indictment from Los Angeles County unveiled last Wednesday alleges that Reiner planned the attack on his parents. This revelation, alongside other circumstances, could result in him facing the death penalty. The decision on pursuing the death penalty remains pending, according to District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
Scheduled for a pretrial hearing in September, Reiner is currently being represented by public defender Kimberly Greene. The filing in June mentioned that separate trust funds were set up for each of the Reiner children, with Nick Reiner entitled to half of his fund at 30 and the remainder at 35.
Despite claiming he never received the funds owed to him at 30, Reiner argued in the petition that he was being unjustly denied access to his rightful money. The fund contained assets worth at least $1.5 million US, as per the petition.
High-profile attorney Alan Jackson was initially assigned to Reiner’s case but departed after a brief period without disclosing reasons. The June filing disclosed that Reiner’s siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner, initially agreed to cover their brother’s legal expenses before reversing their decision.
The attorney overseeing the trust fund, Paul R. Kanin, and incoming trustee Jodi Pais Montgomery concurred in court documents that the funds could not be distributed until the outcome of Reiner’s criminal case was clear. The trust fund access remains on hold pending the resolution of legal proceedings and the application of legal principles.
Nearly eight months post the tragic incident, many details surrounding the case remain undisclosed to the public, with authorities refraining from speculating on motives. Jake Reiner, the eldest son, shared his anguish in April over the ordeal of his parents’ murder and the scrutiny surrounding his brother’s involvement.
In a heart-wrenching Substack essay, Jake expressed the profound loss of losing both parents simultaneously, emphasizing their undeserving fate. Rob Reiner’s legacy in the film industry spanned decades, with notable directorial credits including “The Princess Bride,” “A Few Good Men,” and “Stand By Me,” among others. His iconic romance with Michele, whom he met during the filming of “When Harry Met Sally,” lasted 36 years.
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