A Los Angeles jury convicted traveling nurse Nicole Linton on Friday of six counts of second-degree murder. This verdict follows a high-speed multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of Slauson and La Brea avenues in Windsor Hills. The August 4, 2022, collision resulted in the deaths of six people, including an unborn child, and left eight other individuals injured.
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Verify & Continue ReadingJurors deliberated for about three hours in Los Angeles County Superior Court before delivering the verdict against the 41-year-old defendant. Linton, who remained held without bail throughout the proceedings, faces a statutory sentence of 90 years to life in state prison. A formal sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 1.
Trial Evidence and Crash Mechanics
During the weeks-long trial, prosecutors presented extensive technical evidence and surveillance footage detailing the moments leading up to the disaster. Deputy District Attorneys Antonella Nistorescu and Brittany Vannoy argued that Linton deliberately accelerated her Mercedes-Benz to 130 mph in a 35-mph zone.
According to investigators, Linton drove straight through a red light that had been red for 15 seconds. California Highway Patrol investigator Hector Castaneda documented 25 impact areas from the collision. The crash triggered a fiery chain reaction involving nine vehicles. The impact split a Jaguar carrying a local family in half.
The victims killed in the crash included 23-year-old Asherey Ryan, who was eight and a half months pregnant; her 24-year-old boyfriend, Reynold Lester; their 11-month-old son, Alonzo Quintero; and their unborn son, Armani Lester. Two women traveling in a Nissan-43-year-old Nathesia Lewis and 38-year-old Lynette Noble-also perished in the wreck. Deputy Medical Examiner Vadims Poukens testified that all six victims died from traumatic injuries, with several sustaining thermal injuries following the impact.
Arguments on State of Mind and Medical Defense
The core dispute during the trial centered on Linton’s state of mind at the time of the crash. Prosecutors argued that Linton had left her nursing shift at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center mid-shift following a workplace dispute, feeling angry and frustrated. Witnesses testified that she channeled her anger into reckless driving.
“What you know now is this was an entirely preventable act. She chose to do this. She did it knowingly and, most importantly, she was conscious,” Nistorescu told jurors during closing arguments.
Defense attorney Jovan Blacknell argued instead that Linton suffered a sudden medical emergency, specifically a seizure. He stated this left her unconscious and stripped her of control over the vehicle. Neurologist Dr. David Millett testified for the defense, suggesting that a photograph showing Linton’s arm out the window was consistent with an unconscious state brought on by a seizure. Defense counsel maintained that while the loss of life was tragic, an unanticipated medical episode does not constitute murder.
Prosecutors countered that Linton had no formal medical history of seizures. They noted she failed to take medication prescribed for diagnosed bipolar disorder and had a documented history of prior reckless driving incidents.
Legal Repercussions and Sentencing
Linton had initially faced six counts of second-degree murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Prosecutors dismissed the manslaughter charges shortly before the case went to the jury. Linton chose not to testify in her own defense.
The verdict brings a measure of legal closure for the families of the victims, who attended courtroom proceedings for weeks. Judge Eleanor Hunter will preside over the formal sentencing hearing on December 1, where Linton is expected to receive her mandated prison term.
