After hearing testimonies about the immense cost of the shooting death of the hip-hop artist and community leader, as well as about the lifetime of mental illness, abuse, and struggle of the shooter, a Los Angeles judge on Wednesday sentenced the man convicted of shooting Nipsey Hussle to 60 years to life in prison.
Eric R. Holder Jr., 33, was found guilty of the 2019 first-degree murder of the 33-year-old Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist outside the Marathon clothing store in the South Los Angeles neighborhood where both men grew up in very similar circumstances. Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II handed the sentence to Holder Jr.
Nipsey Hussle Killer Sentenced to 60 Years Imprisonment
During the trial that lasted a month, jurors found Holder guilty in July of two charges of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a handgun for firing shots that hit two other individuals at the scene but who survived.
Holder received a sentence from Jacke of 25 years to life for the murder, 25 more for the firearms-related sentencing enhancement, and ten more for the firearms-related assault. He added further penalties and mandated that some sentences run concurrently, per AP News.
Holder, clothed in orange prison garb, maintained a straight-ahead gaze throughout the proceedings, showed no emotion as the court read the sentence, and only responded when the judge asked him to say that he understood the situation.
Herman "Cowboy" Douglas, a close friend of Nipsey Hussle who was present when he was killed and gave testimony during the trial, spoke to the judge before the verdict was announced about how the killing had affected him personally and the community of South Los Angeles, where Hussle was a business leader and an inspiration.
According to Douglas, the closure of Hussle's store and the nearby companies he supported and owned has left "the Homies with nothing to do."
Hussle's partner and the mother of his two young children, actress Lauren London, didn't attend any of the trial's proceedings, and none of his family members offered similar impact statements. Aaron Jansen, Holder's lawyer, described a physically abused and impoverished background for Holder in his request for a sentence of 25 years to life, which would provide him a chance at parole and rehabilitation.
Jansen claimed that Holder went through "a horrific spiral into mental disease" that resulted in "years of anguish and struggle" with problems like severe auditory hallucinations that defied all attempts at therapy.
Per CNN, Holder's father sent the court a letter in which he apologized on his son's behalf. Holder's father also provided information about his son's upbringing, discussed his mental condition, and mentioned that his mother passed away roughly two months before Hussle's shooting death.
In July 2022, Holder was found guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of the late rapper. Ermias Joseph Asghedom, better known as Nipsey Hussle, was shot and killed on March 31, 2019, in South Los Angeles. He was 33. Hussle, a father of two and a successful businessman, founded the record company All Money In. Over his career, Hussle worked with various musicians, including Kendrick Lamar, Drake, YG, Ty Dolla Sign, Meek Mill, and Young Thug.
Nipsey Hussle Death
Holder was acquitted of attempted murder against two individuals who suffered injuries in the shooting attack in 2019 during the trial. Jansen said after the decision that there is "great sadness" with the conviction and that Holder intends to fight his sentence, ABC News reported.
Holder entered a not-guilty plea to first-degree murder but did not contest responsibility for Hussle's death. Throughout the trial, Jansen contended that although Holder did shoot Hussle to death, it was an act of passion rather than premeditation. Nipsey Hussle was a Grammy-winning rapper who dedicated his life to improving the neighborhoods of Crenshaw, where he grew up and had multiple companies. His community and admirers in South Los Angeles called him "Neighborhood Nip."
The rapper was assassinated on those streets on March 31, 2019, in front of his Marathon Clothing store. Holder was an aspiring rapper from the same area as Hussle, who belonged to the Rollin 60s of the Crips.
Nonetheless, in the final years of his life, Hussle sought to end the bloodshed and mediate a truce between opposing gangs. The Marathon Apparel store, which has reopened in a new location and transformed into a memorial where tens of thousands of fans gather to pay their respects to Hussle, was rocked by the rapper's murder at age 33.
After Hussle's passing, millions have shared memorials to the rapper on social media, often with the hashtag #TheMarathonContinues, which was used by Hussle himself as a metaphor for overcoming obstacles in life.
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