LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday sentenced the man convicted of shooting rapper Nipsey Hussle to 60 years to life in prison.
Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II imposed a delayed sentence on Eric R. Holder Jr., 33, who pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder in 2019 of the Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist in age 33 years. outside the clothing store founded by Hussle Marathon in the South Los Angeles neighborhood where both men grew up in very similar circumstances.
After the month-long trial, jurors also convicted Holder in July of two counts of attempted manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm for the shootings that struck two other men in front of where they survived.
Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke issued the ruling Wednesday after hearing from one of Hussle’s friends and hearing a letter from Holder’s father that was read in court. The holder, dressed in orange prison clothes, looked straight ahead throughout the proceedings and did not react when the sentence was read.
The holder was not eligible for the death penalty. He was almost certain to receive a sentence that guaranteed he would spend the rest of his life in prison, with only the details of his conviction at issue.
Sentencing was delayed in part so defense attorney Aaron Jansen could argue to reduce Holder’s sentence to manslaughter or second-degree murder, which Jacke rejected in December.
via the Associated Press
Hussle, whose legal name is Ermias Asghedom, and Holder had known each other for years, growing up as members of the Rollin’ 60 in South LA. Both were aspiring rappers. But Holder was never as successful as Hussle, who would become a local hero and national celebrity.
Actor Lauren London, who was Hussle’s partner and the mother of his two children, was not present at any part of the trial, nor were her relatives, and no one is expected to make victim impact statements, as is often the case in such cases. of hearings.
Herman “Cowboy” Douglas, a close friend of Hussle’s who was with Hussle when he was killed and testified during the trial, told the court that the killing was a huge loss for him personally and the community of south Los Angeles, where Hussle was. . a business leader and an inspiration.
“Nipsey was my friend, he was like a son, he was like a father,” Douglas said. “Our community right now, we’ve lost everything, everything we’ve worked for. One man’s mistake, one man’s action, messed up an entire community.”
via the Associated Press
Douglas told the judge: “I don’t care what you give this guy. It’s not about the weather. I just want to know why. The world wants to know why. Why would anyone do that?”
The evidence against Holder was so overwhelming — from eyewitnesses to surveillance cameras from local businesses that captured his arrival, shooting and departure — that his attorney admitted at trial that he shot Hussle.
But Jansen argued to jurors that the heated circumstances of the shooting meant a lesser manslaughter verdict was deserved.
The jury returned with a verdict of first degree murder after about six hours of deliberations.
Jansen later said he was “deeply disappointed” by the verdict, which he planned to appeal.
He scored a small victory for Holder, securing convictions of attempted manslaughter where prosecutors had sought verdicts of attempted murder.
A year after his death, Hussle was mourned at a memorial at the arena then known as Staples Center and celebrated at a Grammy Awards show that included DJ Khaled and John Legend.
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