Titanic star Frances Fischer has written a private letter of help for convicted killer Rebecca Grossman the place she described the disgraced socialite as ‘sort’, ‘compassionate’ and ‘an angel’.
It’s one among greater than 35 letters despatched to an LA decide by Grossman’s family and friends forward of a sentencing listening to for the previous philanthropist who killed two younger boys in a horror drunk driving hit-and-run in 2020.
Fischer, who performed Kate Winslet’s mom within the blockbuster 1997 movie Titanic, implored the decide to think about leniency for her long-time pal.
The 2 met after Fischer suffered extreme burns throughout a home fireplace and the actress sought therapy from Grossman’s husband, who’s a famend plastic surgeon on the specialised and famed burned unit in West Hills, California.
‘I used to be underneath the care of Dr. Richard Grossman and his son, Dr. Peter Grossman in 2001 – 2002,’ Fischer wrote within the letter. ‘After I was therapeutic from my many wounds, an angel walked into my life. That angel was Rebecca Grossman.
The actress continued: ‘Rebecca took me underneath her wing. She was sort and compassionate and was at all times accessible if I wanted to speak in regards to the emotional repercussions of this accident. It took me a 12 months to get well, and Rebecca was there for me.’
Grossman, 60, is going through two 15-year to life sentences for killing brothers Mark, 11, and Jacob, 8, Iskander, plus 4 years for rushing, when she is sentenced by Choose Joseph A. Brandolino at an Los Angeles court docket on Monday.
Actress Frances Fischer was amongst dozens who wrote letters of help for Rebecca Grossman asking a Los Angeles decide to condemn the convicted socialite to a lesser time period
Rebecca Grossman, 60, was convicted in February of two felony counts of second-degree homicide and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for the hit-and-run demise of two younger boys
Grossman was convicted by a jury 4 months in the past of double second-degree homicide.
Prosecutors mentioned Grossman was driving her Mercedes at as much as 81 mph in a 45-mph zone when she plowed into the boys at a marked crosswalk in Westlake Village, California. She then didn’t cease on the scene of the crime.
‘The defendant’s actions from September 29, 2020, by means of at this time present an entire lack of regret and narcissistic superiority that results in just one conclusion, that she will not be deserving of any leniency,’ they wrote of their sentencing transient.
‘The defendant has regularly proven by means of her actions that she is deserving of most punishment.’
Household and pals, nevertheless, have requested the decide to indicate mercy for Grossman, who they declare has been unfairly portrayed as a careless socialite.
In the course of the trial, prosecutors mentioned Grossman had Valium in her system and had consumed at the very least two margaritas earlier than she bought behind the wheel and raced together with her then-boyfriend, former MLB pitcher Scott Erickson, by means of a residential neighborhood simply earlier than the deadly incident.
In a jaw-dropping letter she wrote to the Iskander household, Grossman claimed she panicked and remembers a boy falling from the sky.
‘I advised my husband and youngsters that on the identical time my airbags deployed, I assumed one thing got here down on the highest of my automotive,’ Grossman advised the Iskanders.
‘I even reached out to individuals at satellite tv for pc firms like NASA and House X in hopes that perhaps there was a video that captured what occurred. I didn’t know what to do.’
Frances Fischer, left, with Kate Winslet within the smash hit film Titanic. Fischer was severely burned on her arms throughout a 2001 home fireplace in North Vancouver the place she was capturing for a tv collection. She sought therapy from Dr. Peter Grossman and have become quick pals with Rebecca Grossman
Prosecutors blasted the disgraced mother-of-two and mentioned she refused to take accountability for the murders and ‘lived a lifetime of privilege and clearly felt that her wealth and notoriety would purchase her freedom.’
However protection attorneys requested the decide to think about the ‘exemplary life’ Grossman has led and ‘her personal hardships as a toddler’ rising up in an unstable family.
‘There have been harmless victims who suffered from her offense conduct, however because the Court docket had already acknowledged, this case is not like the outrageously egregious conduct underlying most implied malice circumstances,’ her attorneys wrote in a quick.
They continued: ‘Ms. Grossman doesn’t come earlier than the Court docket asking to be handled in another way from another defendant; she asks solely that she be sentenced in accord with who she has demonstrated herself to be all through her total life, together with the tragic however distinctive information that carry her earlier than the Court docket for sentencing in a case that features two counts of implied malice homicide.’
Different Grossman supporters who wrote to the decide embody former Olympic hockey participant Eric LeMarque, who signed his letter as ‘ELE’.
LeMarque was handled by Dr. Peter Grossman after he needed to have his toes amputated in 2004. The previous Olympiad was misplaced within the Sierra mountains throughout a snowboarding tour and endured subzero temperatures earlier than he was rescued.
‘Within the face of this grim actuality, I awoke to Peter Grossman praying and holding my Olympic toes that I might quickly be taught that day wanted amputation to save lots of my life after struggling by means of 107.3 and 107.5 provided consolation,’ LeMarque wrote to the decide.
‘Subsequently, I met Rebecca Grossman later the identical day, whose compassion enveloped me like a maternal embrace. All through the following three months of therapy, her nurturing care supplied real consolation. Even within the years that adopted, Rebecca’s unwavering help guided me and my household towards regaining mobility with limbs.
‘Regardless of portrayal on the contrary, Rebecca Grossman epitomizes kindness, genuineness and humility – qualities that starkly distinction with the unworthy villain she has been depicted as,’ he added.
The Iskanders of their closing photograph collectively: mother and father Nancy and Karim with their sons, Zachary, Jacob and Mark; and child daughter, Violet
Hockey participant Eric LeMarque was an Olympic athlete earlier than he needed to have his legs amputated
Eric LeMarque was handled by Dr. Peter Grossman, proper, at his famed burn middle in California. LeMarque wore in a letter to a decide that the Grossmans have been instrumental in his therapeutic and requested for a extra lenient sentence for Rebecca
A number of of the letters of help additionally talked about the younger Afghani woman, Zubedia, who the couple took in as she acquired therapy from the physician for extreme burns.
Zubedia known as Grossman her ‘American mom,’ and likewise implored the decide to indicate leniency.
‘Please take into consideration the world wants her and please give my American mother an opportunity to do good out right here with so many individuals who want her,’ Zubedia wrote in her emotional letter.
‘I used to be going to ask you to permit me to commerce locations with Rebecca in order that she may help individuals who want her a lot and I can serve the jail time. I used to be advised that will not assist my mother however I nonetheless need you to know that is how good she is and the way a lot she is required on the planet.’
Prosecutors, nevertheless, painted a stark distinction of Grossman and mentioned she even made her daughter Alexis to lie on the stand.
They mentioned in a ‘sheer act of cowardness,’ Grossman satisfied her daughter – who was 16 on the time of the crash – to testify that she initially noticed Erickson hiding in some bushes whereas deputies arrested her mom.
She additionally testified her mom’s former lover burst into their dwelling smelling of booze and yelled, ‘Why did your mother cease?’ and threated to ‘break me and my household’ if she advised anybody about seeing him close to the scene of the crash.
Prosecutors mentioned there was no proof Erickson was concerned within the crash.
In addition they mentioned Grossman tried to affect witnesses, the jury, her ex-lover and even the decide.
Prosecutors mentioned Rebecca Grossman was having cocktails together with her ex-boyfriend Scott Erickson, pictured above, at a neighborhood restaurant earlier than they bought into their separate vehicles and raced down the road of a residential neighborhood.
Karim and Nancy Iskander, the boys’ mother and father, are proven at a court docket listening to in Van Nuys, Calif
Alexis Grossman together with her dad Dr. Peter Grossman are pictured arriving to court docket. The 19-year outdated wept and screamed, ‘Oh my God’ after a jury discovered her mom responsible of murdering two younger boys together with her Mercedes
In her letter to the decide, Alexis Grossman – now 19 – didn’t tackle her testimony, however continued to indicate help for her mother.
‘My mother doesn’t need to be in jail,’ she mentioned. ‘I can’t clarify in two pages how extraordinary my mother is.
‘She is my the whole lot, my greatest pal, my best function mannequin, my energy and my hero. So, Your Honor, I urge you to please have the consideration of me, my household and her character along with your sentencing.’
