The murder trial of Nick Reiner took a dramatic turn this morning as his defense team formally filed a motion to enter a plea of Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI).
In a sealed document obtained by DailyNewsEdit, Reiner’s attorneys argue that the 32-year-old was not merely under the influence of narcotics during the tragic killing of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, but was suffering from “untreated paranoid schizophrenia.”
“The Drugs Were Just the Band-Aid”
The filing claims that Nick’s well-documented history of addiction—which started at age 15 and inspired the film Being Charlie—was actually a decades-long attempt to “silence auditory hallucinations” that have plagued him since adolescence.
“The narrative that this was a drug deal gone wrong is false,” lead attorney Elena Kogan told reporters outside the courthouse. “Nick has been living in a state of delusion for years. The drugs were not the cause of the violence; they were the only thing keeping the voices quiet until he ran out.”
Explaining the Suicide Vest
This diagnosis may explain the shocking scene earlier this week, where Reiner appeared in court wearing a suicide prevention vest. Legal analysts suggest his behavior—muttering to himself and refusing to make eye contact—aligns with a psychotic break rather than typical criminal defiance.
If the plea is accepted, Reiner would undergo a psychiatric evaluation by court-appointed doctors. If found legally insane, he would face indefinite commitment to a state psychiatric hospital rather than a prison cell.
The Prosecution’s Challenge
The District Attorney is expected to challenge the diagnosis, arguing that Reiner’s psychosis was drug-induced (caused by meth or heroin usage), which does not qualify for an insanity defense in California.
DailyNewsEdit will report live from the arraignment hearing tomorrow.
