Nipsey Hussle, a Grammy-nominated rapper and community activist, was shot to death outside his South Los Angeles clothing store in March 2019. His killer, Eric Holder Jr., was sentenced to 60 years in prison today.
Judge Clay Jacke II handed down the sentence after hearing testaments to the immense cost of Hussle’s killing and of the lifetime of mental illness, abuse, and struggle that Holder had experienced.
Eric Holder Jr. sentenced to 60 years in prison for killing Nipsey Hussle
On February 22, the killer of Nipsey Hussle was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the fatal shooting outside the rapper’s South Los Angeles clothing store. Eric Holder, 32, was convicted of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter for an incident on March 31, 2019. During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Holder approached Hussle in front of the Marathon Clothing store near Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard, engaging in a brief conversation before firing several shots. He also allegedly kicked Hussle’s body in the head and fled the scene, Deputy District Attorney John McKinney told jurors.
But defense attorney Aaron Jansen argued that Holder had become so triggered by the allegation that there might be “paperwork” on him, gang slang for documentation that someone is cooperating with law enforcement, that he became uncontrollable. In addition, he had a history of mental health problems that could have impacted his decision to return to his gun and shoot Hussle.
Holder’s attorney Aaron Jansen criticized the sentence
Holder was sent to prison for the rest of his life on Wednesday after being convicted of murder in the killing of rapper Nipsey Hussle. The sentence was delivered by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge after hearing testimony from witnesses and relatives of Hussle.
Jansen told jurors that Holder acted in a moment of “heated passion” after Hussle allegedly mentioned there was a rumor that Holder was a police informant. But he said that the killing was not planned.
The two men had known each other for years, growing up in South Los Angeles as members of the Rollin 60s Neighborhood Crips, a local gang that Hussle left behind.
Holder, like Hussle, had left the gang in recent years, Jansen said. But that wasn’t enough to dissuade him from the murder, he said.
Eric Holder’s lawyer criticized the judge’s decision
The lawyer of former attorney general Eric Holder has criticized the judge’s decision to sentence the man who killed rapper Nipsey Hussle to 60 years in prison. Aaron Jansen said he was “disappointed” in the jury’s verdict.
Throughout the trial, Jansen contended that his client’s charges should have been for voluntary manslaughter rather than murder. This despite the overwhelming evidence, including eyewitnesses and surveillance cameras from local businesses that captured his arrival, the shooting, and his departure.
Herman “Cowboy” Douglas, a close friend of Hussle who was standing with him when he was killed and testified during the trial, told jurors that Hussle’s death was a great loss both for him personally and for the community in South Los Angeles, where he was a business leader and an inspiration to many.
The verdict comes as the legal saga over Hussle’s death ends after a lengthy trial that was often delayed because of the ongoing swine flu pandemic. It also marks the first time that a defendant was convicted on all charges in the case.
Holder’s attorney criticized the judge’s decision
A Los Angeles judge sentenced Holder Wednesday to 60 years in prison for the 2019 shooting death of Nipsey Hussle. In July, he was convicted of first-degree murder for the killing of the rapper outside his store in South Los Angeles.
Attorney Aaron Jansen criticized the judge’s decision during the sentencing, noting that he was subjected to abuse and poverty. He outlined Holder’s lifetime of mental illness and struggles.
He noted that Holder grew up aspiring to be a rapper, just like Hussle. He also argued that the shooting was not premeditated, so it should have been charged as voluntary manslaughter rather than murder.
But the judge ultimately gave Holder a sentence that was far longer than Jansen requested, and that would likely put him in prison for the rest of his life. He sat straight-backed and did not react when the judge read the sentence.
