On Wednesday, a judge in Los Angeles sentenced Eric Holder, the man convicted of killing rapper Nipsey Hussle, to 60 years to life in prison. Holder was found guilty in July of shooting and killing Hussle outside of his Los Angeles clothing store in March 2019, as well as two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm for shooting two other men at the scene who survived.
Despite being ineligible for the death penalty, Holder received a sentence that ensures he will be in prison for the rest of his life. During the trial, Holder’s defense attorney attempted to reduce his client’s murder conviction to manslaughter or second-degree murder, but the judge rejected this request in December.
Hussle and Holder had grown up together and had been in the same gang when they were younger. Both were also aspiring rappers, although only Hussle achieved national success. During the trial, Holder’s attorney argued that his client shot Hussle in the heat of passion after Hussle accused him of being a snitch.
Hussle’s partner and the mother of his children did not attend any part of the trial, and no victim impact statements were provided at the sentencing. A friend of Hussle who was with him when he was killed testified that the rapper’s death was a major loss for the South Los Angeles community.
The evidence against Holder was overwhelming, and even his defense attorney conceded in court that his client had shot Hussle. A key witness testified that she saw Holder load a weapon with bullets while in her car and then instructed her to park in an alleyway while he got out.
Video played during the trial showed Holder walking back to the parking lot, where he approached and shot Hussle 11 times, as well as shooting two other men who were with Hussle. Before leaving the scene, Holder kicked the rapper in the head. Despite his attorney’s arguments, the jury returned with a first-degree murder verdict after six hours of deliberations.
»Los Angeles judge sentences man convicted of killing beloved rapper Nipsey Hussle to 60 years«
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