According to The Guardian: On Wednesday, a judge in Los Angeles handed down a 60–life sentence to the shooter of rapper Nipsey Hussle.
Eric R. Holder Jr., 33, who was found guilty of the 2019 first-degree murder of the 33-year-old Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist outside the clothing store Hussle founded, the Marathon, in the south Los Angeles neighborhood where both men grew up in very similar circumstances, received the postponed sentence from superior court judge H Clay Jacke II.
There are plans for a mural honoring the late rapper Nipsey Hussle. Spray paint cans line the stairs of two ladders that lean against the wall.
The second Marathon store will be opened by Nipsey Hussle’s family, “fulfilling his goal.”
During the trial that lasted a full 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 wounded two other men present at the incident. They both lived.
After hearing from one of Hussle’s friends and hearing a letter from Holder’s father read in court on Wednesday, Jacke imposed the punishment. Holder, who was wearing orange jail garb, maintained a straight face throughout the proceedings and made no movement in response to the punishment being read.
The death penalty was ineligible for Holder. With just the specifics of his sentence in doubt, he was almost certain to get a sentence that would ensure he would serve the remainder of his life behind bars.
The defense attorney Aaron Jansen’s request to have Holder’s conviction reduced to manslaughter or second-degree murder, which Judge Jacke rejected in December, was one of the reasons the sentencing was postponed.
Holder and Hussle, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, had grown up together in south LA’s Rollin’ 60s and were longtime friends. Both wanted to become rappers. Holder, though, was never as successful as Hussle, who went on to become a local hero and a household name.
Hussle’s partner and child’s mother, actress Lauren London, did not show up for any of the trial’s proceedings, and neither did any of Hussle’s family members. No victim impact statements are anticipated, as is typical at such sessions.
Hussle’s close friend Herman “Cowboy” Douglas, who was present when he was slain and testified during the trial, told the court that the death was a terrible loss for both him and the community in south Los Angeles where Hussle was a role model and a business leader.
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Nipsey was Douglas’ companion; “he was like a son, he was like a parent.” “Right now, our community has lost everything it has strived for. One man’s error or one man’s deed wrecked an entire community.”
I don’t care what you give this guy, Douglas reportedly said to the judge. Time is not the issue. All I need to know is why. Everyone wants to know the reason. Why would someone do that?
Holder’s attorney admitted throughout the trial that he had shot Hussle since the evidence against him was so strong – from eyewitnesses to security footage from nearby businesses that recorded his arrival, the shooting, and his exit.
Nonetheless, Jansen persuaded the jury that a lesser conviction of voluntary manslaughter was appropriate given the contentious nature of the shooting.
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After roughly six hours of deliberation, the jury returned with the first-degree murder verdict.
Jansen declared that he will appeal the decision and that he was “very unhappy” with it.
By getting attempted voluntary manslaughter convictions where prosecutors had sought attempted murder verdicts, he was able to win a little triumph for Holder.
A year after his passing, Hussle was remembered at a memorial service held at the Staples Center and honored with a performance by DJ Khaled and John Legend at the Grammy Awards.