Aiexpress – A Los Angeles socialite accused of killing two young boys at a crosswalk while “racing” her sports star lover has been found guilty of murder.
Rebecca Grossman, 60, was found guilty of two charges of second-degree murder in the murders of Mark Iskander, 11, and his brother Jacob Iskander, 8, on Friday after a six-week trial.
The nine-man, three-woman jury reached its decision on the second day of deliberations after spending almost nine hours reviewing the material. Grossman faces up to 34 years to life in prison in a sentencing hearing on April 10.
During the trial, the court heard how the socialite had been drinking with her partner, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, before driving at high speed across a junction in Westlake Village, a residential neighborhood northwest of Los Angeles, in September 2020.
The two children were killed when she hit them with her Mercedes-Benz SUV as they walked in the marked crosswalk with their mother, Nancy Iskander, and five-year-old brother Zachary. Mark died on the scene of the tragedy, while his younger brother Jacob perished later at a local hospital.
Grossman was also found guilty of two charges of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit-and-run driving causing death.
Prosecutors alleged the socialite and Mr. Erickson had been drinking cocktails at a nearby business before engaging in a street race through the residential neighborhood, slamming into the two lads at speeds of up to 70 mph. The speed limit in the area was 45 mph.
According to testimony given by Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators during a preliminary hearing in 2022, she was driving behind Mr. Erickson when the incident occurred on Triunfo Canyon Road.
Nancy Iskander, the boys’ mother, presented a horrifying account of what she witnessed during that deadly incident in the fall of 2020, stating that the pair of SUVs “were zigzagging with each other as if they were playing or racing.”.
“They did not come to a stop before the intersection. They did not stop at the intersection. They did not stop when an 11-year-old was on the car’s bonnet. Nobody stopped,” she said in a sad statement at the time.
Mirette Fouad, a family acquaintance, said Ms. Iskander was able to move her two youngest children out of harm’s way, including a stroller-bound daughter, but she was unable to reach the bigger boys in time.
According to The Los Angeles Times, Mark’s body was discovered 254 feet from the crossing, while Jacob was discovered approximately 50 feet away.
During the trial, Grossman’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, attempted to shift culpability for the boys’ terrible deaths to the former MLB star. Mr. Buzbee alleged that Los Angeles Sheriff’s investigators never examined Mr. Erickson’s black Mercedes SUV for damage, despite witnesses claiming they saw him go past the marked crosswalk a few seconds before Grossman.
During closing statements on Thursday, the defense made one more attempt to blame Mr. Erickson, claiming that his automobile struck the boys.
Mr. Erickson, 55, was charged with misdemeanor reckless driving. In February 2022, a judge ordered him to produce a public service announcement to high school students about the significance of safe driving. Mr. Erickson denied misconduct.
At heated pre-trial hearings in 2022, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Shellie Samuels concluded that the defense’s previous claim that Grossman was rushing home was incorrect.
“The defendant was not rushing to get home; she was playing a high-speed game of chicken with Mr. Erickson,” Judge Samuels stated, according to the Los Angeles Times. “I believe the defendant went well beyond gross negligence.”
Grossman, a co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, is married to renowned surgeon Dr. Peter Grossman.
At trial, Dr. Grossman stated that he and his wife were separated at the time, living separate lives under the same house while dating other individuals. He said that his wife became connected with Mr. Erickson in 2020.
In response to questions from the prosecution, he claimed that despite riding with his ex-wife hundreds of times, he had never witnessed her speed.
