Grieving Mother Delivers Heart-Wrenching Statement at Rebecca Grossman’s Sentencing for Hit-and-Run Deaths in Los Angeles

The heartbroken mother of two boys killed by socialite Rebecca Grossman in a hit-and-run gave a harrowing victim impact statement during her sentencing on Monday.

Conviction of Rebecca Grossman

Grossman, who turns 61 on Friday, was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges for the 2020 deaths of brothers Mark, 11, and Jacob Iskander, 8, in Westlake Village, outside Los Angeles.

Nancy Iskander’s Painful Testimony

Nancy Iskander spoke directly to Grossman, recalling how she had to make the horrifying decision to take Jacob off life support after Mark was declared dead at the scene.

Confronting Grossman

Pointing at Grossman, Nancy continued: “She looked at me in the eye. She didn’t get on her knees and she is saying she wished she could speak to me. You could’ve have. She cannot claim, ‘I wanted to speak to Nancy.'”

Expressing Anger and Love

Nancy continued, yelling at Grossman, “You were there! You looked me in the eye. you knew they were dying!”

It’s not clear where Nancy says she saw Grossman the day of the hit-and-run, as Grossman did not return to the scene.

Final Moments with Jacob

Speaking to the court, Nancy recalled waiting for Jacob to take his last breath at the hospital. “He was turning blue and I had to leave the room,” she added.

Surprising Declaration of Love

In a shocking moment, Nancy said that, despite her anger, she loves the woman who took her sons’ lives. “I will say though I love her,” Nancy said. “I do love Rebecca Grossman after all she did but I don’t believe what they say about her because her actions speak about her.”

Prosecutors Seek Maximum Penalty

Citing a lack of remorse for her actions, prosecutors have asked for the maximum penalty of two 15-years-to-life sentences to run consecutively – one for each young boy. If hit with that sentence, Grossman, who has been in custody since her February conviction, would likely spend the rest of her life behind bars.

Support from Grossman’s Family

Her husband Dr. Peter Grossman, daughter Alexis, 19, and son Nick have continued supporting the socialite and were present in the courtroom before sentencing. Grossman hasn’t been pictured today because she was taken into custody after her conviction in February and has been in jail ever since.

Parents of the Victims

On the opposite side of the court sat the boys’ parents Nancy and Karim Iskander. Wearing a button with her two boys’ pictures on her shirt, Nancy was in tears as she took her seat in the courtroom audience.

Emotional Victim Impact Statements

Grossman, clad in a brown jumpsuit, shook her head and cried as victim impact statements were read in court. Statements were read by Mark and Jacob’s uncle, grandmother, teachers, a pastor, and neighbors. The packed courtroom was moved to tears as the Iskander boys’ grandmother, Joyce, told the judge how the tragic deaths have affected their entire family.

Grandmother’s Testimony

Joyce Ghobrial, the mother of Nancy Iskander, said she quit her job and moved to live with her daughter and son-in-law to help raise her grandchildren. The grieving grandmother’s voice cracked as she struggled to hold onto the microphone and talked about how Grossman didn’t readily take responsibility for the tragedy.

Impact on the Family

“I have people asking how I am doing … I am grieving,” Ghobrial said. “If not for her car, we would still be looking for the murderer.”

Incident Details

The wife of prominent Los Angeles burn doctor Peter fatally struck the siblings while speeding behind a car driven by then-lover Scott Erickson, a former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher. Grossman was not charged with being under the influence, but former baseball player Royce Clayton testified he had joined her and Erickson at a nearby restaurant where Erickson had two margaritas and Grossman had one.

Evidence Presented by Prosecutors

Prosecutors presented evidence that the data recorder in Grossman’s white Mercedes showed she was speeding at up to 81 mph and tapped her brakes, slowing her to 73 mph, less than two seconds before a collision that set off her airbags.

Alleged Lack of Remorse

In their sentencing memos, prosecutors said Grossman also allegedly “conspired with a friend to contact the Iskanders by scheming to give them a necklace,” which had their sons’ birthstones, and was trying to have them anonymously delivered last month.

Prosecutors’ Statements

“The defendant’s actions from September 29, 2020, through today show a complete lack of remorse and narcissistic superiority that leads to only one conclusion, that she is not deserving of any leniency,” said prosecutors Habib Balian, Ryan Gould, and Jamie Castro, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. “The defendant has continually shown through her actions that she is deserving of maximum punishment.”

Defense’s Argument

The defense has framed Grossman as a “humanitarian” who helped burn victims and survivors of domestic violence and grew up being abused and impoverished in Texas. Her lead attorney James Spertus acknowledged the Iskanders’ loss was “incalculable,” but added the Grossmans have experienced a different type of loss.

Grossman’s Plea for Mercy

In a letter to the judge pleading for mercy, Grossman wrote: “I am not a murderer, and I ask you to recognize that true fact. My pain, my recognition of the pain the Iskanders suffer, and the pain I watch my family endure, are punishments that I already suffer and will for the rest of my life. Please consider this suffering when you consider what more punishment to impose on me in this case. As God is my witness, I did not see anyone or anything in the road. I swear to you, I would have driven my car into a tree to avoid hitting two little boys.”

Son’s Plea for Understanding

Grossman’s son Nick wrote in a letter to the judge: “Nothing compares to what the Iskanders are going through, but ever since the accident, it’s just felt like the world hates my mom and everyone is against our family. It’s like they just want the worst version of the story and have never looked into who she really is and all the things she’s done her entire life, every single day. They’ve made her into a monster.”

Allegations of Manipulation

Prosecutors, meanwhile, also allege Grossman got her family to lie for her during her trial, including her daughter Alexis. She has already been accused of using dirty tactics to try to get her convictions overturned. Prosecutors previously said that from jail she told her husband and daughter to hunt down jurors and seek out witnesses to try to get them to change their testimony and sway Judge Brandolino into giving her a new trial.

Jury Tampering Allegations

Grossman also allegedly told her daughter Alexis to publicly release a sheriff’s deputy’s body-camera video that had been sealed by the judge. Despite Judge Brandolino sealing the jurors’ contact information, at least two jurors reported three other members of the jury were contacted by Paul Stuckey, a private investigator “for the family,” according to prosecutors.

Defense’s Blame on Erickson

Grossman’s lead defense attorney during the trial, Tony Buzbee, repeatedly blamed her then-lover Erickson for the deaths, suggesting the retired baseball player’s car hit Jacob, hurling him to a curb, and then hit Mark, throwing him into the path of Grossman’s Mercedes. An attorney for Erickson has said the former ballplayer denies contributing in any way to the tragedy. Erickson was initially charged with a misdemeanor count of reckless driving but it was dismissed after he made a public service announcement, the Times said.

Nancy Iskander’s Testimony

Nancy Iskander testified that the black SUV did not hit her sons but could have hit her and her 5-year-old son, Zachary. She said she dove out of the way and pulled Zachary to safety. The mother said she did not see Mark and Jacob being struck but three eyewitnesses testified they saw a white or light-colored vehicle hit the boys.

Dr. Peter Grossman’s Testimony

Grossman’s husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, medical director of the Grossman Burn Centers, was called to testify by his wife’s defense. The Grossmans are founders of the Grossman Burn Foundation, which promotes care and support of burn survivors. Peter Grossman said he and his wife were separated at the time, living separate lives under the same roof while dating other people. His wife was involved with Erickson in 2020, he testified.

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