MILWAUKEE — A verdict was reached Wednesday in the trial of a man who killed a pregnant woman named Erin Mogensen last fall in a reckless driving hit-and-run crash.
The jury found 21-year-old Frank Mosley guilty on all counts, including first-degree reckless homicide.
It took just two hours of deliberation for the jury to find Mosley guilty. Mogensen’s family declined to comment on camera after the verdict, but Erin’s mother told TMJ4 reporter Ben Jordan that it’s the first step toward justice for Erin.
Mosley didn’t show any emotion as the guilty verdict was read. Before the verdict, jurors were shown dash camera footage of the police chase that led up to the crash.
Prosecutors say Mosley reached speeds of 116 mph when a Wauwatosa police officer who was chasing him called off the pursuit.
Seconds later, Mosley ran a red light at 100th and Capitol, killing Erin and her unborn child.
Surveillance video captured Mosley running away from the scene. He was later arrested by police.
The state called the evidence in this case overwhelming.
Watch: Driver found guilty in the reckless driving hit-and-run death of a pregnant woman
“He wasn’t worrying about anyone else; he wouldn’t have been going 116 to begin with,” said prosecutor Michael Lonski. “He was worrying about getting away from the police. He was trying to get away. That’s why he couldn’t stop for the stoplight.”
The defense tried to poke holes in the state’s case. At one point, Mosley’s attorney suggested he would have been seriously injured if he were the driver.
“The missing links of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Mosley was the driver of this car at that time, and I believe we have a lot of reasonable doubt,” said defense attorney Quron Payne.
TMJ4 has covered stories on Erin’s family fighting for change, including their fight for new legislation to provide harsher punishments for drivers who flee police and cause death or serious harm. Erin’s family was at the Capitol when it was signed into law.
More recently, TMJ4 has done stories with Erin’s mother, Ruth Ehrgott, as she launches a new court watch program in Milwaukee County to monitor reckless driving sentences. Ehrgott wants everyone to remember Erin’s name and her legacy.
"It was so unnecessary. He was going so fast. She was simply sitting to turn left, so in no way did she have any involvement,” Ehrgott told TMJ4’s Ben Jordan in June. “That's the devastating part. It's the part that I don't know how we get over that, compounded with Erin."
Ehrgott provided TMJ4 with this written statement following the verdict:
“We are deeply grateful for the hard work and dedication of the prosecutor, investigators, and all those who tirelessly built a strong case to seek justice for the loss of Erin and Baby M. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the jury for standing up for them and for the integrity of our community.”
Mosley will be sentenced in November. He could face more than 100 years in prison.
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