Nick Reiner is reportedly no longer on suicide watch ahead of his arraignment for the murders of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner.
The 32-year-old — who’s accused of fatally stabbing the director, 78, and photographer, 70 — no longer has to wear a suicide-prevention smock but will remain in solitary confinement at Los Angeles’ Twin Towers Correctional Facility until a judge or court hearing determines otherwise, a sheriff source confirmed Monday to People.
The younger Reiner, who remains under observation, is scheduled to be arraigned at the Los Angeles Superior Court Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The arraignment had previously been postponed from December, when his attorney said it was “too early” for his client to make a plea.
Nick was arrested on the night of Dec. 14, hours after his younger sister Romy discovered her father’s body at the beloved couple’s Brentwood home. She was later notified that her mother had also been killed.
Nick was charged two days later with two counts of first-degree murder and a special allegation that a knife was used. If convicted in the grisly killings, he faces life in prison or the death penalty.
Days after the slayings, TMZ reported that Nick had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and that his “alarming” behavior had recently been made even more “erratic and dangerous” with new medication.
Records obtained last week by People show that authorities twice responded to the Reiner home in early and late 2019 for a welfare check and a mental health-related call, respectively. Officers told a supervisor they found “no indication of mental illness” at the time, according to those records.
Nick has long been open about his lifelong struggle with substance abuse, which has reportedly resulted in over a dozen stints in rehab and multiple bouts of homelessness.
A resurfaced clip from a 2016 podcast appearance features Nick admitting that he once manufactured a “crazy” state of mind to get access to the antidepressant medication, Wellbutrin.
Last month, a police source told People that Nick was in solitary confinement, would have to wear a suicide-prevention smock 24/7 and would “remain on suicide watch until a doctor clears him, which could take a long time depending on his mental health.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, round-the-clock support, information and resources for help. Call or text the lifeline at 988, or see the 988lifeline.org website, where chat is available.