Prosecutors on Tuesday charged Nick Reiner, the son of filmmaker Rob Reiner, with first-degree murder in the deaths of both of his parents — a case that authorities say could ultimately carry the death penalty.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Nick, 32, is accused of killing Rob, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 68, inside the couple's Brentwood mansion.

Prosecutors said the killings were carried out with a knife and involved special circumstances that could significantly increase any potential sentence.

"Charges are not evidence," Hochman said, per The Guardian. He added that evidence would be presented in court "to meet the standard of proof we meet at every criminal case, which is beyond a reasonable doubt."

If convicted, Nick faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Hochman confirmed that his office is also considering seeking the death penalty, calling family homicide cases among "the most challenging and heart-wrenching" because of their "intimate and often brutal nature."

Discovery Of The Bodies And Early Investigation

Sources cited by the Daily Mail said Nick had been living in the guesthouse on and off for years and that his parents had grown increasingly concerned about his mental health and substance use.

One family friend told the New York Post that Rob had expressed fear for his son's deteriorating condition in the days before the killings.

Authorities say the couple was found Sunday afternoon after their daughter, Romy Reiner, went to check on them when no one answered the door.

According to reports from the Daily Mail, Rob and his wife were discovered in their bed with their throats cut and may have been asleep when they were attacked, a detail that investigators have not officially confirmed.

A source close to the investigation told the Daily Mail the timeline suggests the killings may have occurred overnight, sometime after the family attended a holiday party the previous evening. "He could have done it not long after they all went home," the source claimed. "They were in bed when that happened."

Emergency responders were called to the home around 3:30 p.m. Sunday and attempted to render aid.

One report, cited by Showbiz 411, claimed Michele was still alive when paramedics arrived but died on the way to the hospital. Authorities have not verified that version of events.

Court Delay

Nick was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, but the hearing was postponed. His attorney, Alan Jackson, said the delay was procedural.

"Every inmate has to be medically cleared before they can be transported to court," Jackson told reporters, per E! Online. "He has not been medically cleared. It's just a procedural issue."