Nick Reiner Denied Trust Fund Access Amid Murder Charges for Parents’ Deaths

Nick Reiner’s request to access a trust fund valued at over $1.5 million has been denied. Court documents filed by a trustee allege that California’s ‘slayer statute’ bars Reiner from using the funds to defend himself against charges that he murdered his parents, director Rob Reiner and photographer-philanthropist Michele Reiner.

Reiner was indicted on murder charges in February and pleaded not guilty. On August 12, he entered another not-guilty plea to two counts of murder, including a special circumstance of lying in wait, as well as an allegation of using a knife, a dangerous and deadly weapon. In June, represented by a public defender, Reiner filed a probate petition seeking trust funds to retain private counsel.

Court documents obtained by The New York Times last week show that Jodi Pais Montgomery, the fiduciary overseeing the trust established by Reiner’s parents at his birth, opposed the request based on the ‘slayer statute.’ California law bars individuals from inheriting funds if they ‘feloniously and intentionally’ killed the benefactor.

Lauriann Wright, counsel for the fiduciary Montgomery, stated in the filing that California law contains no exception allowing a killer to use inherited funds for criminal defense costs. Under the slayer statute, funds would pass to Reiner’s siblings, Romy and Jake. She emphasized that releasing the funds at this stage would be irreversible, given Reiner’s presumption of innocence pending trial.

Anita P. Wu, counsel for Reiner, countered that the slayer statute requires a formal determination, not merely an accusation. ‘Nick is presumed innocent and has been convicted of nothing,’ Wu stated to The Times.

A spokesperson for Reiner’s siblings did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment.

Reiner’s next hearing is scheduled for September 15.

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