LOS ANGELES (CN) — A jury found Rebecca Grossman, a wealthy Southern California woman, guilty of second-degree murder in the death of two little boys on a street in the west San Fernando Valley.
Prosecutors had argued that Grossman, the wife of renowned plastic surgeon Peter Grossman, was impaired by alcohol and valium as she drove her white Mercedes SUV at 81 mph down a two-lane street in a quiet, residential neighborhood near her house. She struck the two boys, 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his 8-year-old brother Jacob, as they crossed the street with their mother Nancy and 5-year-old brother Zachary.
The jury convicted Grossman on two counts of murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter, and one count of hit-and-run. She faces up to 34 years in prison.
Nancy Iskander began to sob as the verdict was read. Grossman's daughter Alexis cried out, "Oh my God." Rebecca Grossman turned around and told her quietly, "It's OK."
One of Grossman's lawyers asked the judge to allow Grossman to remain free on bail pending sentencing, which was scheduled for April 10. Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino denied the motion, saying, "She has been convicted of very serious crimes." He added: "It’s been over three years. So I think justice can no longer be delayed in the case."
A sheriff's deputy then immediately handcuffed Grossman, who appeared calm. Her two children stood up, crying. Grossman asked the deputy if she was allowed to kiss them goodbye. He said no, and she was led away.
A relieved looking Nancy Iskander thanked God and the prosecutors as she left the courtroom.
"They went above and beyond," she told reporters outside the courthouse. "They wanted to tell the truth. They worked against some of the most," and she paused, searching for the word, "...evil defense attorneys."
Nancy's husband Karim agreed. "It was amazing how they lied," he said. "They just lie, lie lie. I was shocked by the lies, but I was also worried."
Grossman's attorneys, in something of an audacious move, had sought to pin the blame for the two deaths on someone else: Scott Erickson, a former professional baseball player and Grossman's then-boyfriend. Grossman, who was separated from her husband at the time, had been having margaritas with Erickson and a friend of his at a nearby Mexican restaurant. The two then drove their respective Mercedes SUVs to Grossman's house and were by most accounts racing each other, weaving between the lanes and driving exceedingly fast.
According to the defense team's theory, Erickson's black SUV struck the two boys first, leaving the first boy still standing in the road, spinning; the second boy, they say, was vaulted into the air and landed on Grossman's hood. Deputy District Attorney Ryan Gould called the unlikely theory "physically, mathematically impossible," arguing that all the physical evidence — debris found at the scene, damage to Grossman's white SUV — pointed to Grossman's culpability.
Tony Buzbee, Grossman's attorney, had little to say as he left the courthouse, other than to say that the verdict was "unexpected, but we'll appeal, because there were a lot of errors in the case."
Jurors deliberated for the better part of two days before reaching a verdict.
When asked about Grossman's family's reaction to the verdict, Nancy Iskander said, "Obviously, it was heartbreaking. My heart broke for her children. I’m a mother. It wasn’t easy. But it will give me closure."
Buzbee had sought to interject Erickson's presence at every turn. Alexis Grossman testified that Erickson was hiding in the bushes as her mother was questioned by the sheriff's deputy. When confronted, Erickson threatened Alexis, she said. Prosecutors accused Alexis of lying.
"There was not a shred of evidence that he was involved," said Deputy District Attorney Ryan Gould, after the verdict.
Buzbee also tried to paint the investigation as "horrible," performed by the "C-team," and replete with errors, not least of which was failing to identify the car Erickson had been driving that night, and failing to examine it. Even the prosecutors acknowledged mistakes had been made. But, said Deputy District Attorney Jamie Castro, "In the end, we know that based on the evidence, that they got it right."
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