A driver was convicted of second-degree murder in a Venice Boardwalk hit-and-run rampage that killed an Italian woman on her honeymoon and injured more than a dozen people.
Nathan Campbell, 39, pleaded not guilty to murder, 17 counts of assault with a deadly weapon and 10 counts of leaving the scene of an accident in the Aug 3, 2013 rampage. He has not denied hitting the pedestrians at one of Los Angeles' top tourist destinations, but his lawyer said he swerved to avoid people and disputed that he drove onto the boardwalk because he was seeking vengeance over a drug deal.
He asked jurors not to convict Campbell of murder.
During the trial, jurors heard emotional testimonyh from Christian Casadei, who was walking with his newlywed wife on the boardwalk when a driver rammed through barricades. Casadei testified that he grabbed his wife, 32-year-old Alica Gruppioni, when he saw the car continue in their direction and told her to follow him to a nearby hotel entrance.
But both newlyweds were struck by the Dodge Avenger that prosecutors said was driven by Campbell, allegedly bent on revenge against a drug dealer who ripped him off in a $35 methamphetamine deal.
Gruppioni, 32, could be seen on a surveillance video standing on the walkway as the car suddenly appeared and struck her before disappearing into a sea of people. She was carried 300 feet on the hood of the car and then rolled off, hitting the pavement.
She died from head injuries.
A defense lawyer said Campbell took out tents, an ATM, a row of bikes and a mannequin, but swerved to dodge people, which is how Gruppioni fell off the car's hood. The 2013 boardwalk rampage left a path of casualties including merchants and people from England, France and China.
The driver then turned on a side street and vanished. Campbell, a transient with a history of petty crimes, surrendered to police in neighboring Santa Monica a couple of hours later.
Millions of visitors from around the world are drawn to the funky mix of jugglers, musicians and dancers hustling for tips while merchants peddle handcrafted art, tapestries and knickknacks. With a scent of pot — sold legally in nearby medical dispensaries — often permeating the surroundings, the vibe hearkens back to its hippy past.
