
Los Angeles socialite Rebecca Grossman was handed a guilty verdict on all charges in a harrowing 2020 hit-and-run case that resulted in the deaths of two young brothers. The Los Angeles County jury found Grossman guilty of two counts each of murder and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, alongside a felony count of hit-and-run driving, as per NBC Los Angeles.
During the month-long trial, evidence showed Grossman, 60, speeding in her white Mercedes-Benz SUV, striking 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his 8-year-old brother Jacob, while crossing the street in Westlake Village. Data from Grossman's car indicated she was traveling up to 81 mph in a 45 mph zone, shortly before the crash, AP News reported. The defense contended that Grossman was not impaired, arguing that former Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, who had been with Grossman before the incident, struck the children first.
"Mark and Jacob did not die. They were murdered," Nancy Iskander, the mother of the boys, told NBC Los Angeles. In a remarkable display of compassion, despite the verdict's weight she added, "I don't have any hate for her. My heart broke for her children." Grossman, who is the co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation with her husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, now faces 34 years to life in prison.
Grossman's attorney, Tony Buzbee, pointed fingers at Erickson for causing the lethal incident – the one who failed to hit the boys first, according to the defense claim. His argument that the crash was not properly investigated by police held no sway with the jury, which deliberated for two days before reaching a decision. Once the verdict was announced, a judge denied allowing Grossman to remain free before sentencing, leading to her being handcuffed and taken into custody, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. The sentencing is scheduled for April 10.