New indictment alleges Nick Reiner was lying in wait before killing parents Rob and Michele Reiner

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted Nick Reiner on murder charges in the killings of his parents, actor Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, and adds the allegation that he was lying in wait before attacking them.

The grand jury, which had been meeting in secret, returned the indictment on July 20, and it was unsealed Wednesday, when Nick Reiner entered a not guilty plea.

The director, actor and Hollywood luminary Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer and producer Michele Singer Reiner, were stabbed to death in their home in the upscale Brentwood section of Los Angeles on Dec. 14. Nick Reiner was arrested hours later and charged two days later.

The grand jury indictment is a major step toward trial and allows prosecutors to skip California’s preliminary hearing process, where evidence is publicly aired.

The unsealed indictment reveals few new details in a case that has been shrouded in secrecy. But the lying in wait allegation along with other circumstances mean Reiner is eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors say they haven’t decided whether to seek it.

“This was a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement. “We hope that by having a grand jury return an indictment in this case it will bring us one step closer to a trial and achieving justice.”

An email seeking comment from Nick Reiner’s attorneys was not immediately returned.