Lead prosecutors removed from Rebecca Grossman after flagging conflict of interest
It's been three months since Nancy and Karim Iskander walked out of a Van Nuys courthouse after a jury found 60-year-old Rebecca Grossman guilty of murder in the 2020 deaths of their two young sons, Mark and Jacob.
"We walked out of that courtroom thinking we were done," Nancy said.
They've been waiting for Gross to be sentenced. She faces 34 years to life in prison.
"If I had any doubt, any doubt, that anybody else is involved, I would've said that because as a mother, you want justice," Nancy said. "You want the person who murdered your child to be held accountable."
In a sudden turn of events, the two prosecutors who have been with the family since day one were removed as the lead attorneys on the case.
"We are shocked. We were concerned," said Karim.
Trial attorneys Ryan Gould and Jaime Castro, who secured the guilty verdict, recently flagged a conflict of interest with Grossman's new attorney, James Spertus, who represents an Assistant District Attorney in a separate case.
Last week, the District Attorney's Office reassigned the case to the Major Crimes Division.
"This decision was made with the utmost consideration for the victims and their family, to protect the integrity of the legal process, and the jury verdict," Chief Deputy District Attorney Joseph Iniguez said. "We are confident that Ms. Grossman will be appropriately sentenced and any legal issues that need to be resolved before that time will be vigorously litigated by our Major Crimes Division."
The trial attorneys will now assist with the case.
"We trust them a lot," Karim said.
Grossman's new attorney said the decision to reassign the prosecutors has nothing to do with him or his clients as there is no conflict of interest. He said his focus is on the motion he filed for a new trial, as he is confident Grossman's convictions for murder will be overturned.
"I can't even think of that possibility. It would absolutely crush me," Nancy said.
Nancy says every day during the trial, she felt like she was attending her sons' funerals over and over again. She said she wants to be able to move forward and focus on her family, her foster care agency and healing.
"I want them to be proud of me," Nancy said.
