Nick Reiner, son of Rob and Michele Reiner, has petitioned a Los Angeles probate court for release of trust funds in order to pay for his legal defense in the murders of his parents.
Reiner’s attorneys argue that he should be able access a trust that was set up by his parents shortly after his birth in 1993. According to the petition, he is the sole beneficiary of assets totaling more than $1.5 million.
Rob Reiner, the famed director, and his wife and producer Michele, were found were found stabbed in their Brentwood home in December. Nick Reiner has been held in Los Angeles County jail without bail since then on two counts of capital murder. He is represented by a public defender and has pleaded not guilty.
“Nick loved his parents, and he is devastated by their deaths,” the petition states. “But the facts about what did and did not happen to them are not at issue in this Trust litigation.”
Reiner was initially represented by a private attorney, Alan Jackson, who withdrew from the case in January. According to the petition documents, Jackson had initially been assured by Reiner’s siblings, Jake and Romy, and a family representative that his fees would be paid by the family. But in late December, Jackson was told that the funds would not be forthcoming and was forced to withdraw from the case, according to the filing.
