Nick Reiner — who is being accused of murdering his parents, Michele and Rob Reiner — doesn’t understand why he’s in jail.
The 32-year-old allegedly believes the people who put him behind bars are engaged in a “conspiracy” against him, a source told TMZ Friday.
The insider also noted that Nick is allegedly aware of his crime — though he’s had a break in reality.
This latest update comes after his arraignment was postponed a second time on Jan. 7 due to his lawyer, Alan Jackson, abruptly quitting.
On Wednesday morning, Jackson informed the judge overseeing the case that he had “no choice but to withdraw and ask to be relieved.”
Instead, he will now be represented by LA County Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene, and the new date is set for Feb. 23.
Nick, who made an appearance in court with a newly shaved head and sunken eyes, only spoke once during the arraignment to say he agreed with the change in counsel.
The “Being Charlie” writer was meant to enter a plea on Wednesday after his arraignment was initially postponed from Dec. 17.
On Dec. 14, Michele and Rob were found stabbed to death in their home by their daughter, Romy, after having gotten into an argument with Nick at a party the night before. He was 78 and she was 70.
The LA County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that the couple died from “multiple sharp force injuries,” ruling it was homicide.
Later that night, Nick was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders.
He is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Following the murders, it was reported that Nick had been diagnosed with schizophrenia before the killings of the actor-director and his wife. He also had a long history of drug addiction.
The accused murderer — who was under the care of a psychiatrist for mental illness — had allegedly become “alarming” in the weeks leading up to the slayings.
At the time, doctors had reportedly changed Nick’s medications, which caused him to be “out of his head.”
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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