Nicole Linton murder trial: verdict reached in fatal Windsor Hills crash in 2022

LOS ANGELES (KABC)– A verdict has been reached in the trial of a woman accused of causing a 2022 crash that killed six people, including a mother and her unborn child, in Windsor Hills.

The verdict will be read Friday at 1:30 p.m.

ABC7 will bring you live coverage once read. Come back here.

Prosecutors allege Nicole Linton was driving a Mercedes about 130 mph when she sped through the intersection of Slauson and La Brea on Aug. 4, 2022, sparking a violent collision that shocked the community.

The 39-year-old faces six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. She pleaded not guilty.

The families of what community members call the “Slauson Six” say they have been waiting for justice for more than four years. They have been in the courtroom for weeks as the trial proceeds.

During opening statements last month, prosecutors told jurors that “the defendant killed six people” before playing surveillance video of the collision. Family members of the victims reacted emotionally when the video was shown in court. Several people reportedly left the courtroom during the presentation of evidence.

According to his defense team, Linton was suffering a mental health crisis at the time of the accident and may have lost consciousness.

During their opening speech, Linton’s defense attorney said the traveling nurse had just left her job and suffered a medical emergency while on her way home. They say Linton suffered a seizure before the crash and add there was no evidence she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They also said she was not on the phone, she was not running with anyone and she was not angry or fighting with anyone at the time of the accident.

Prosecutors told jurors there was no evidence of a seizure and argued that Linton had been upset at work and was driving in anger.

“This is going to be very important because the prosecution is going to argue that even if she suffered from some sort of mental health issue, she should have known that she shouldn’t have even gotten behind the wheel of a car,” said legal expert Lou Shapiro. “So when you take that into consideration, and you have the horrible tragedies and deaths that have befallen the victims, combining all of that, it’s a tough battle for the defense.”

The accident killed Asherey Ryan, 23, who was eight and a half months pregnant. Ryan was traveling in a Jaguar with her 24-year-old boyfriend, Reynold Lester, and their 11-month-old son, Alonzo Quintero, on their way to a prenatal appointment. Their unborn son, Armani, was also killed.

During opening statements, prosecutors told jurors the force of the crash threw Alonzo into the air, landing at the feet of a woman at a nearby gas station. They then showed surveillance footage from the gas station that prosecutors say captured witnesses picking him up from the ground.

The prosecution also presented graphic images related to the accident. Prosecutors showed images of the charred bodies of Ryan and his unborn son and argued that the force of the crash caused the injuries that led to their deaths. Prosecutors said the impact was so violent that Armani was ripped from Ryan’s stomach.

In one video, jurors were able to see the baby lying in the street with his umbilical cord still attached.

The presentation drew audible reactions from the audience and some family members ran out of the courtroom. Linton also became emotional at times and was seen crying in court.

At one point, one of the jurors was visibly upset.

Authorities said Nathesia Lewis, 43, and her friend Lynette Noble, 38, who were in another vehicle, also died in the collision.

A California Highway Patrol investigator said the impact was so severe that the Jaguar was split in two. Nine other people, including Linton, were injured.

If convicted on all counts, Linton could spend the rest of her life in prison.