Nicole Linton Found Guilty: Timeline of the Windsor Hills Crash Case From 2022 to the Verdict

A Los Angeles County jury convicted Nicole Linton, 41, of six counts of second-degree murder on Friday, October 2, 2026, over the August 4, 2022 Windsor Hills crash that killed six people. The jury deliberated for about three hours, and sentencing is set for December 1, 2026. We traced the case from the crash to the verdict below, as of Saturday, October 3, 2026.

What did the jury decide in the Nicole Linton trial?

Jurors found Linton guilty on all six counts of second-degree murder after about three hours of deliberation on Friday, October 2, 2026. Deliberations began around 9 a.m. Pacific time, and the verdict came by midday, according to wire-service reports. Judge Eleanor Hunter presided. Deputy District Attorneys Antonella Nistorescu and Brittany Vannoy prosecuted the case, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) investigated, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Linton is a registered nurse from Houston who was working as a traveling nurse in Los Angeles. The conviction is for second-degree murder, not vehicular manslaughter. District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the jury agreed the crash was not an accident and that Linton deliberately accelerated through a red light into an intersection with visible traffic.

What happened in the Windsor Hills crash on August 4, 2022?

At about 1:40 p.m. on August 4, 2022, a Mercedes-Benz driven by Linton went through a red light at La Brea and Slauson avenues in Windsor Hills and struck other vehicles, killing six people. The DA’s office says the car reached 130 mph, the light had been red for 15 seconds, and three vehicles caught fire. Local reports describe a 35-mph zone, multiple vehicles and several other people injured. Prosecutors said Linton had left her shift at a Los Angeles hospital about 18 minutes earlier.

The six people who died were Asherey Ryan, 23, who was 8½ months pregnant; her 11-month-old son, Alonzo Quintero; her boyfriend, Reynold Lester, 24; and the couple’s unborn son, Armani Lester. According to the DA’s office, Ryan, Lester and Alonzo were on their way to a final prenatal appointment. Nathesia Lewis, 43, and Lynette Noble, 38, friends riding in another car on a shopping trip, also died. We have left out graphic crash and courtroom evidence.

What is the timeline of the Windsor Hills case, from 2022 to the verdict?

The case ran from arrest and murder charges in August 2022 through a 2024 preliminary hearing to a jury trial that opened in late August 2026 and ended with the verdict on October 2. The dates below come from court reporting and the DA’s release.

Prosecutors originally filed six murder counts, counting the unborn child, plus five counts of gross vehicular manslaughter. According to court records reported by a wire service, prosecutors dropped the manslaughter counts shortly before trial. The California Board of Registered Nursing said it suspended Linton’s license pending the criminal case; the DA’s release calls her a registered nurse, and we follow that. Jail records show she has been held without bail.

How did prosecutors and the defense argue the case?

Prosecutors argued Linton was conscious and chose to drive through the intersection at high speed, while defense attorney Jovan Blacknell argued a seizure left her unable to control the car. Prosecutors pointed to data from the car showing the accelerator fully pressed for at least five seconds with no braking or swerving, and said her steering followed the curve of the road. They said her medical records showed no history of seizures and argued she was angry about her job that day. They also cited her mental-health history and missed medication; we report that only as their argument.

The defense told jurors Linton was not impaired, on her phone, racing or angry. It said video of her arm outside the window was consistent with a rigid limb and that the steering barely moved. A defense neurologist testified he believed she likely suffered a seizure, though he acknowledged on cross-examination that he had been troubled by how she navigated the road. A firefighter-paramedic said she was in an altered mental state after the crash but could not say whether she had a seizure. Linton told the judge on September 21, 2026, that she had decided not to testify. The jury rejected the defense theory and found her guilty of second-degree murder on every count.

Why do reports give different speeds and vehicle counts?

Early estimates came from surveillance video, while the 130 mph figure comes from data recorded by the car, and outlets count vehicles and injuries differently. Reports in 2022 cited video-based estimates of roughly 90 to 100 mph. At the 2024 preliminary hearing, a CHP investigator testified that the car’s data showed 122 mph five seconds before impact and 130 mph at impact. One broadcaster still reports about 100 mph and eight vehicles; other outlets say nine vehicles, and injury counts vary. We use the DA’s 130 mph and say multiple vehicles and several other people.

What happens next, and what sentence does Linton face?

Sentencing is set for December 1, 2026, in Department 109 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles. The DA’s office says Linton faces multiple life sentences, and one local TV report cites a statutory sentence of 90 years to life. The judge will decide the actual sentence, and we are not forecasting it. A local report says several victims’ relatives want to give impact statements. The coverage we reviewed reports no post-trial motions or appeal as of October 3, 2026.

The verdict ends the trial phase of a case that took more than four years to reach a jury. Sentencing is the next step on the court calendar, and we will update this piece once the court acts.