Jury convicts nurse Nicole Linton of six murders in 130-mph Windsor Hills crash

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Headline graphic: Guilty of 6 murders, over a file photo of the intersection of Slauson and La Brea avenues

Cover photo: File photo (Slauson & La Brea avenues) by EEJCC, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped, darkened and text added by The Southbound 105.

By The Southbound 105 | Oct. 3, 2026

LOS ANGELES — A jury on Friday convicted Nicole Lorraine Linton, a 41-year-old traveling nurse from Houston, of six counts of second-degree murder for the August 2022 crash at La Brea and Slauson avenues in Windsor Hills that killed a pregnant woman, her baby, her unborn child, her boyfriend and two friends in another car.

Jurors deliberated for about three hours before returning guilty verdicts on all six counts, NBC Los Angeles reported. Sentencing is set for Dec. 1 in Department 109 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Linton faces a sentence of 90 years to life in state prison, FOX 11 reported. The district attorney's office said she is expected to receive multiple life sentences.

130 mph through a red light

On Aug. 4, 2022, Linton left her shift early at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles in her Mercedes-Benz, prosecutors said. About 18 minutes later, around 1:40 p.m., she drove through a red light at La Brea and Slauson at 130 mph, striking multiple vehicles, three of which caught fire. The light had been red for 15 seconds, according to the district attorney's office.

Prosecutors said the car's electronic data recorder showed Linton fully pressing the accelerator seconds before the crash. They said she revved her engine after passing the nearby Five Points intersection and floored the gas pedal for at least five seconds. The posted speed limit was 35 mph, NBC Los Angeles reported.

The victims

Asherey Ryan, 23, who was 8 1/2 months pregnant; her boyfriend, Reynold Lester, 24; their 11-month-old son, Alonzo; and their unborn son, Armani, were killed. The family had been driving to Ryan's final prenatal appointment, according to prosecutors. (NBC Los Angeles described Lester as Ryan's fiancé.)

Friends Nathesia Lewis, 43, and Lynette Noble, 38, were in another car on a shopping trip when they were killed. Eight people were injured, NBC Los Angeles reported. Linton was hospitalized with moderate injuries.

"The jury agreed that this was no accident," District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement. "Asherey Ryan, Reynold Lester, Alonzo Quintero, Armani, Nathesia Lewis and Lynette Noble should still be with us today. While this verdict cannot bring them back, it can honor their memory by ensuring that their lives were not forgotten and that justice prevailed on their behalf."

Seizure or choice

The trial centered on Linton's state of mind. Defense attorneys argued she suffered a seizure that left her unable to stop the car. "She did not know that she was going to have a seizure," attorney Jovan Blacknell told jurors. "Sometimes a medical emergency occurs while someone's driving. That's not murder." A defense neurologist testified that Linton had "likely suffered a seizure."

Prosecutors portrayed Linton as a disgruntled employee who channeled anger at her job into her driving. "She did it knowingly and, most importantly, she was conscious," Deputy District Attorney Antonella Nistorescu said in closing arguments. "She was conscious that entire time." A doctor who spoke with Linton the day after the crash testified that Linton said co-workers made her feel stupid, that she hated her job and that she had left work intending to quit, NBC Los Angeles reported.

Linton did not testify. Her sister testified about unusual behavior in the days and hours before the crash. Weeks after the crash, Linton's family launched a website describing her as a caring person who had struggled with mental health since 2018. Prosecutors had dismissed vehicular manslaughter charges shortly before trial, FOX 11 reported, leaving the six murder counts. Linton remains held without bail.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Nistorescu and Brittany Vannoy and investigated by the California Highway Patrol.

Sources

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