Rob Reiner's Son Nick Makes Brief Appearance in Court, Arraignment Pushed to January By Nicole Acosta and Danielle Bacher 86

Nick Reiner made his first court appearance in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Dec. 17 on charges he murdered his parents, director Rob Reiner and photographer and producer Michele Singer Reiner.

Reiner, clad in a blue sleeveless vest and shackles, was seated behind glass in court and stared blankly as his lawyer, Alan Jackson, declined to enter a plea for his client. The arraignment will continue on Jan. 7.

The hearing came one day after the suspect’s court hearing was canceled since he was not medically cleared to appear, Jackson previously told reporters outside Los Angeles Superior Court.

Nick, 32, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, with prosecutors planning to pursue an increased sentence for a special circumstance of multiple murders and a special allegation he used a “dangerous and deadly” weapon such as a knife, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole or the death penalty, if convicted. He is being held without bail.

Nick was arrested without incident near the University of Southern California campus, police said, about six hours after Rob, 78, and his wife, Michele, 70, were found dead inside their Brentwood, Los Angeles, home on Sunday, Dec. 14.

Their daughter, Romy Reiner, 27, discovered her father’s body that day after a massage therapist couldn’t access the property, the New York Times reported. She “fled” the home, unaware her mother Michele was also dead inside, and later learned of her mother’s death from a paramedic, a source close to the family told the news outlet.

Authorities have not shared a possible motive for the killings or explained why Nick was not at the home when he was taken into custody.

Newly-released surveillance footage obtained by ABC7 Eyewitness News showed Nick visiting a gas station moments before his arrest.  In the video, Nick is dressed in a green, white and black tracksuit jacket, a black cap and carrying a red backpack.

Nick, who previously has spoken openly about struggles with addiction and homelessness, beginning in his teens, is one of three children the longtime couple shared.

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A source close to the Reiners told PEOPLE in this week’s cover story, “They tried everything — giving him space, keeping him close — but his struggles are so deep. It’s just a parent’s worst nightmare.”

Rob and Michele married in 1989, having met while Rob was directing When Harry Met Sally… Rob has directed several other beloved films such as This Is Spinal Tap, Stand by Me and The Princess Bride, while Michele worked as a photographer and producer.

In a statement shared with Variety after the news of the deaths, the Reiner family said, “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”