It’s one thing to watch the twists and turns of nonfiction crime episodes like “Dateline” on television, it’s another to see it play out in the news day after day. But that’s exactly what is happening in the case of Rebecca Grossman, a Los Angeles philanthropist who allegedly fatally struck Mark, 11, and Jacob, 8, Iskander, two young boys who were skating across the street in a crosswalk.
With critical details coming to light, the jury is on a rollercoaster ride to decide whether Grossman– a woman who has won numerous humanitarian awards, including being recognized by the State of California as Woman of the Year– is guilty of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter, and hit-and-run driving.
Grossman has pleaded not guilty; her defense attorney, Tony Buzbee, believes that it was Scott Erickson, a former baseball player with whom she was dating, who was driving in front of her, in a black Mercedes SUV.
At the time of the accident, Grossman was separated from her husband, reconstructive surgeon, medical director of the Grossman Burn Center, Dr. Peter Grossman. The couple co-founded the Grossman Burn Foundation, launched in 2007.