Grossman charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death
Incident took place on September 29th, 2020 at around 7:15 PM when the boys were crossing a marked crosswalk
Rebecca Grossman found guilty of murder for driving under the influence and killing two boys in Westlake Village
Rebecca Grossman, a prominent socialite and co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation with her husband Dr. Peter Grossman, was found guilty on all five charges in the murder trial for striking and killing two boys while driving intoxicated in Westlake Village. The incident took place on September 29th, 2020 at around 7:15 PM when the boys were crossing a marked crosswalk. Grossman was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death.
Rebecca Grossman found guilty of murdering 2 Westlake Village boys
Boys hit by Rebecca Grossman's speeding white Mercedes-Benz SUV while crossing the street in a marked crosswalk
Nancy Iskander: 'Mark and Jacob did not die. They were murdered'
Accuracy
Grossman faces five charges: two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death.
On Sept. 29, 2020, the two boys were crossing the street in a marked crosswalk at around 7:10 p.m. when Grossman allegedly struck them.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author uses sensationalist language such as 'Rebecca Grossman found guilty of murdering two Westlake Village boys' and 'Mark and Jacob did not die. They were murdered.' This creates a false sense of urgency and importance around the case, which is misleading to readers who may not have all the facts. Secondly, the author quotes Nancy Iskander as saying that Mark and Jacob were hit by Grossman's speeding white Mercedes-Benz SUV as she was driving too fast and impaired. However, this quote is taken out of context from a larger statement where Nancy acknowledges that there may be other factors at play in the case. This creates a false impression that the prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt when it may not have done so.
The article uses sensationalist language such as 'Rebecca Grossman found guilty of murdering two Westlake Village boys' and 'Mark and Jacob did not die. They were murdered.'
The author quotes Nancy Iskander as saying that Mark and Jacob were hit by Grossman's speeding white Mercedes-Benz SUV as she was driving too fast and impaired, but this quote is taken out of context from a larger statement where Nancy acknowledges that there may be other factors at play in the case.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses language that depicts Rebecca Grossman as a wealthy socialite who is being judged solely on her wealth rather than the facts of the case.
> A Los Angeles County jury found socialite Rebecca Grossman guilty Friday on all five charges, including murder, in the deaths of two young boys who were struck in a Westlake Village crosswalk by Grossman's car in 2020. <br> > The nine-man, three-woman panel deliberated for nearly two days to hand down the verdict to the defendant.
Speaking outside the Van Nuys courtroom after the verdict was announced, Nancy and Karim Iskander, the parents of Mark and Jacob, said they welcomed closure after more than three years. <br> > "Mark and Jacob did not die. They were murdered," said Nancy Iskander.
The prosecutor also said during the trial that Grossman hit the children as they were in a marked crosswalk and had a duty to stop, but never returned to the scene.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Helen Jeong has a conflict of interest on the topic of Rebecca Grossman as she is reporting on her trial for murdering two Westlake Village boys. The author also has personal relationships with Mark Iskander and his family members who were involved in the hit-and-run driving incident that led to the death of one of the victims.
Helen Jeong's article mentions her previous reporting on Rebecca Grossman, indicating a potential conflict of interest.
The author also has personal relationships with Mark Iskander and his family members who were involved in the hit-and-run driving incident that led to the death of one of the victims.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Helen Jeong has a conflict of interest on the topic of Rebecca Grossman as she is reporting on her trial for murdering two Westlake Village boys. The author also has a personal relationship with Mark Iskander who was involved in the hit-and-run driving incident that resulted in one death and injury to another person.
Helen Jeong reports on a crosswalk collision incident that resulted in one death. She writes 'A man died Friday morning when he was struck by a car while crossing the street at a marked crosswalk in Westlake Village.'
Helen Jeong reports on Rebecca Grossman's trial for murdering two Westlake Village boys. She writes, 'Rebecca Grossman pleaded guilty Friday to killing two young boys who were crossing the street at a marked crosswalk in Westlake Village.'
In her article about Mark Iskander being involved in a hit-and-run driving incident that resulted in one death and injury to another person, Helen Jeong writes 'Mark Iskander was charged with vehicular manslaughter after hitting and killing 18-year-old Karim Iskander on the street near his home.'
Rebecca Grossman is a Hidden Hills socialite accused of striking and killing two boys while driving intoxicated in Westlake Village.
Grossman was charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of Jacob Iskander, 8, and Mark Iskander, 11.
She faces five charges: two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death.
On Sept. 29, 2020, the two boys were crossing the street in a marked crosswalk at around 7:10 p.m. when Grossman allegedly struck them.
The Mercedes-Benz SUV involved in the crash sustained major damage to its front end.
Accuracy
Rebecca Grossman was charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of Jacob Iskander and Mark Iskander.
Grossman's blood alcohol levels were not above the legal limit, but prosecutors said that she was impaired with alcohol and Valium.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Rebecca Grossman was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for the deaths of Jacob Iskander and Mark Iskander. However, this information is incorrect as she was actually charged with five charges: two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death. Secondly, the article states that Grossman's Mercedes SUV sustained major damage to its front end after hitting the boys. However, this information is also incorrect as there are no photos or descriptions of any damage to her vehicle in the article.
The sentence 'Rebecca Grossman was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for the deaths of Jacob Iskander and Mark Iskander' is deceptive because it states that she was charged with five charges, not just two.
The sentence 'Grossman’s Mercedes SUV sustained major damage to its front end after hitting the boys
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Grossman is the co-founder of a charity and her husband is a prominent plastic surgeon without providing any evidence or context for their expertise in this case. Additionally, the author commits an ad hominem fallacy when they mention that Erickson was hiding behind a tree near the scene of the accident, implying that he has something to hide rather than focusing on his actions at the time of the crash. The article also contains examples of false dilemma and slippery slope fallacies in some parts where it is stated that Grossman's daughter testified about Erickson hiding behind a tree near the scene, implying that there were only two options for what happened - either Erickson was involved or not. The author also uses an example of false dilemma when they state
The article contains several examples of logical fallacies.
An appeal to authority is used by the author without providing any evidence or context for their expertise in this case.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article discusses the trial of Rebecca Grossman for a DUI crash that killed two boys. The author has multiple conflicts of interest related to this topic.
> Rebecca Grossman is an employee at the Grossman Burn Foundation, which may have a vested interest in reporting on her case and presenting it in a positive light.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Rebecca Grossman and her involvement in a crosswalk accident that killed two boys. The article mentions that Dr. Peter Grossman is Rebecca's father and Mark Iskander is her husband, which could compromise their ability to act objectively and impartially.
Rebecca Grossman was found guilty of murder in the killing of two young brothers who were crossing a street in Westlake Village when her speeding Mercedes hit them.
Nancy Iskander thanked the jury after the verdict was read.
Accuracy
Grossman faces 34 years to life in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on April 10th.
Deception
(90%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Rebecca Grossman was found guilty of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter but does not mention the hit-and-run charge which she also pleaded guilty to. This omission creates a false impression that only two charges were brought against her when in fact there were three. Secondly, the article quotes Deputy Dist. Atty Jamie Castro stating that Grossman showed conscious disregard for human life and knew her speed could be dangerous on a suburban street with pedestrian traffic because police had warned her of the dangers in the past. However, this statement is not supported by any evidence presented during trial or mentioned in the article. It appears to be an attempt to discredit Grossman without providing any concrete proof.
The article quotes Deputy Dist. Atty Jamie Castro stating that Grossman showed conscious disregard for human life and knew her speed could be dangerous on a suburban street with pedestrian traffic because police had warned her of the dangers in the past. However, this statement is not supported by any evidence presented during trial or mentioned in the article.
The article states that Rebecca Grossman was found guilty of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter but does not mention the hit-and-run charge which she also pleaded guilty to. This omission creates a false impression that only two charges were brought against her when in fact there were three.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an example of a false dilemma fallacy. The author presents the case as if it is either Grossman's fault or Erickson's fault for the accident, when in reality there may have been other factors at play that contributed to the tragedy.
The prosecutors alleged Grossman, Castro said.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a clear example of religious bias. The author uses the phrase 'God' to describe Nancy Iskander's reaction after the verdict was announced. This is an attempt to portray her as being more virtuous than Rebecca Grossman and implies that she has a higher moral ground.
Nancy Iskander, the boys’ mother, said after the decision was announced. “My family has been waiting for this for three and a half years now,” Nancy Iskander, the boys’ mother, said after the decision was announced. “I give glory to God.”
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article reports on the trial and conviction of Rebecca Grossman for murder. The author Richard Winton has a personal relationship with Mark Iskander who is related to the victims. Additionally, Peter Grossman was also involved in the case as he was an investigator for law enforcement.
Richard Winton reports on the trial of Rebecca Grossman and mentions that her husband Mark Iskander has been a source for him in previous stories.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author Richard Winton and Grace Toohey have a conflict of interest on the topic of Rebecca Grossman as they are reporting on her guilty verdict for murder. The article does not disclose any other conflicts of interest.
The murder charges were unusual, as she did not also face a charge of driving under the influence.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author implies that Rebecca Grossman's blood alcohol levels were above the legal limit when she was driving. However, this information is not supported by any evidence presented in the trial and it appears to be a deliberate attempt to mislead readers into believing that Grossman was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of her actions.
The author writes: 'Rebecca Grossman, a Los Angeles socialite accused of fatally striking two young brothers crossing the street, was found guilty...'. This sentence implies that Rebecca Grossman is responsible for their deaths. However, it does not mention anything about her being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time.
The author writes: 'Grossman's blood alcohol levels were not above the legal limit, but prosecutors said that she was impaired with alcohol and Valium.' This sentence implies that Grossman was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. However, it does not mention anything about her being found guilty for driving under the influence.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the jury found Grossman guilty on all counts for the 2020 incident without providing any evidence or reasoning behind this claim. Additionally, the author quotes a witness who described Erickson as speeding and swerving around the family, which is not supported by any evidence presented in court. The article also contains an example of inflammatory rhetoric when it states that Grossman killed two children and committed murder.
The jury found Rebecca Grossman guilty on all counts for the 2020 incident.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses language that depicts the victim as innocent angels who were brutally murdered by a wealthy socialite with no regard for human life.
<br> Witnesses said that Erickson, who they described as speeding, swerved around the family while Grossman briefly braked but struck them. She continued down the road where her car came to a stop due to a safety feature.
> Prosecutors had said the 60-year-old was impaired and speeding in her Mercedes when she hit brothers Mark Iskander, 11, and Jacob Iskander, 8, at over 70mph. <br> Grossman’s defense had argued that what happened was an accident and that the boys were first struck by another car.
The murder charges were unusual
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Rebecca Grossman's trial as she is reporting on her friend and colleague Scott Erickson who was involved in the case.
